It’s football season

By Pastor Devin Strong, Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church.

It’s football season and in many ways it’s my favorite time of year!

When my kids were little and I watched a game on TV, they would talk to me. “Mum, dad uses his soccer words again!” “

I’ve been a huge fan of college and professional football since I was a kid myself and watched the games with my dad and grandfather, who are both gone now. And I know I’m not the only one who thinks it’s “my” time of year!

Soccer continues to be the most popular sport in the United States, despite the inherent violence of the game, which I struggle with. We’re extremely dedicated to our love of sport in America, which might not always be a good thing. Recently, a Texas high school football player died of heat stroke and dehydration while training. Sadly, there are a number of sports-related deaths and injuries each year, in large part due to the commitment to play “no matter what”. From a fan’s perspective, we’re going to pay hundreds of dollars for a ticket, drive long distances, and sit in extreme heat or freezing cold to watch a game.

Being devoted to sport at almost any cost worries me.

It seems that sport in general has become something of “gods” in this country. A pastor friend of mine jokes that in his next life he wants to come back as a coach because coaches have a lot more authority and respect than pastors – and he might be right about that. ! Coaches can tell parents that their child will need to be heavily involved in a sport, spend a decent amount of money, attend two or three practices a week and every game, and parents will agree.

The question is, would most of us devote this time and energy to church or some other kind of volunteer service?

When my niece, Taylor, was a high school student in Atlanta, she was a near Olympic-level soccer player on several touring teams. She and her parents devoted a lot of time and money to the game, but unfortunately Taylor tore her ACL in her senior year and was unable to play for the latter half of the season. One weekend, while the team was playing in a tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., She and my sister drove six hours to the game, so Taylor could sit on the bench and support her team. This kind of devotion amazes me. I’m not sure many people would show up at church this Sunday if I told them it was going to be in six hours!

I certainly don’t wag my finger, as I’m someone who loves sports and look forward to this particularly nostalgic time of year. The holiday season and fan-filled stadiums with intense rivalries are fun celebrations, and watching world-class athletes show off phenomenal skills is something I will always enjoy. But still, it makes me wonder: have we made sports too high a priority in our lives? Did they become idols instead of entertainment? Are we ready to devote that kind of time, energy, and passion to our faith life, to our church, to our families, or, frankly, to something else? Do we offer God as much enthusiasm as our teams? At the end of the day, we all have to ask ourselves, what do we value most?

God loves you, and me too