America’s Sports Obsession

I put my kids to bed, turn on Monday Night Football, and crank up my computer to see how my fantasy football teams are doing. I get an e-mail from Higher Things asking if I could write them a little something about people who are obsessed with sports.

You have to love life's little ironies.

Personally, I am mostly a football fan. I don't have much use for baseball (too slow), hockey (too low scoring), soccer (too un-American) and basketball (points don't matter except in the last two minutes). To me, football is the perfect sport. That is, until they invented fantasy football. Now I have a whole new way of enjoying the greatest sport on earth. But maybe you like some of those other sports too. (Is paintball a sport? How about chess?)

It's not that hard to make a case that Americans are obsessed with sports. Every city has a bunch of teams in a bunch of different sports. We spend beaucoup bucks on tickets, memorabilia, jerseys, hats, and even little cards with our favorite players on them. We play sports. We watch sports. We play video games about sports (Madden, anyone?). We have TV channels devoted to sports in general and also to particular sports.

We have pee-wee leagues so kids can start playing sports before they are potty trained. Kids dream about becoming professional athletes when they grow up. They look up to sports players as role models (and are all too often disappointed). And many pro players get paid more than pastors, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and even the President of the United States.

You can tell what time of year it is by what sport is in season. We have created a new holiday in January known as the Super Bowl. And then there are college sports too. Americans are obsessed with sports.

So sports are bad, right? Not so fast.

There are certainly some problems with Americans and sports, but let's take a Scriptural approach instead of a knee-jerk, moralistic reaction. What does God's Word say? Does our catechism give any guidance here?

In terms of Scripture, sporting events themselves are never directly condemned. The only reference to sports I could think of are passages like 1 Corinthians 9:24 where Paul uses running as a metaphor for Christian living. Hebrews 12:1 has a similar idea: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Here sports are actually mentioned positively as we are encouraged to run and “win the prize.”

By Rev. Tom Chryst

Then there was Jacob wrestling with God by the Jabbock River, but I don't think that was anything like the professional wrestling we see today. (Can you picture Jacob in a figure-four leg-lock? Um, no.)

As for the catechism, the First Commandment teaches us to “love and trust in God above all things.” Some people do seem to love sports more than God, and if they do, that's sinful. To the extent we do this, we need to repent! If we are more worried about catching the pre-game show on Sunday than we are interested in receiving the precious body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we have some poor priorities. If we complain that the sermon was too long because we don't want to miss kickoff, we have despised God's Word and broken the Third Commandment. When our interest in sports becomes an obsession, when we become preoccupied and unbalanced, then we have a problem.We have another god.

We can make anything into an idol, and we are creative when it comes to finding ways to sin. But just because we use something to sin doesn't mean it's a bad thing in itself. We do the same with the good gifts of money, sex, music, alcohol, and food. God gives us lots of good things, and we find ways to abuse them, and make them our gods.We do the same thing with sports.

Scripture does tell us not to follow “empty pursuits” (Proverbs 28:19) unless we want “poverty in plenty.” But is that what sports are? Is there a good and proper use for sports? The First Article of the Apostles' Creed reminds us that God “richly and daily provides me with all I need to support this body and life.” Our bodies need exercise. Sports can be an enjoyable way to get that exercise. Most of us could stand to get out and get active more often. The health benefits of regular exercise are well-known. Take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit. Keep your body in shape. This is a proper use for sports. It also honors the Fifth Commandment in caring for God's gift of life.

What about spectator sports? I'd make the case that watching sports is relaxing and restful, part of a healthy balance between work and play. Like all hobbies and activities that aren't intrinsically sinful, the Christian is free to partake. So sports, whether we participate in them actively or watch them for entertainment, can be a godly use of our time when kept in proper perspective. Paul says, “Everything is permissible to me, but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12). I suggest that watching sports is just such a thing. It is permissible but not always beneficial.

When it comes to sports, will we mess up the balance? Sure. Will we turn a good gift into an opportunity to sin? Often. Will we come to the foot of the cross in repentance when we do? That's my prayer for myself and my encouragement to you. Like all of life, we live under the cross. By His death, Christ forgives our misuses and abuses of his good things. And by His perfect life, He redeemed all of life for us—waking and sleeping, eating and drinking, work and leisure.What great freedom there is for us Christians to live in Christ and run the race with our eyes fixed on Him.

Sports could even provide us with an analogy of salvation. For in Christ, the victory is always ours. In Him, we, too, are victorious over sin, death, and the devil. In Him, we win the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) with far more luster than the Lombardi Trophy or the Stanley Cup. Because He conquered death, we are “more than conquerors” through Him (Romans 8:37).

Oh, and one last thing. Go Packers!

Tom Chryst is a proselytized Packer fan and armchair quarterback. He is also Associate Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin.