Selling out for Sports

OK.  Before I rant, let me state that I have nothing against football, hockey, soccer or any other sport as long as it is kept in proper perspective.  Here on the eve of another shameless spectacle of heathen idol worship, the Baptist Press has capitualated to overwhelming cultural pressure. Why is it that Christians lack spine?  You can find a similar article here, and they even made a video about it.  Now, I am not bent out of shape because they cancelled a service, but because of the reason.  Besides, at the 1:05 mark, they say “go to a different kind of service, stay home.” At least they are honest! (Thanks Slice!)

If this is not symptomatic of our carnal idolatry of sports?  In this article, cricket fans in India plan to make a temple to their favorite player. “Cricket is religion in our country and Dhoni is god of cricket,” his fan club president Jitendra Singh told reporters. This is appalling, but scarcely surprising.  The world has been idolizing sport for decades, and Christians have fallen into the same trap.  Have we forgotten 1 Timothy 4:8-12

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Christian, I enjoy playing sports as much as the next person.  We Canadians have a fixation on hockey that rivals the US addiction to football.  But Christians are called to a greater cause, and missing church to watch overweight men in spandex fight for a pigskin smacks of spiritual adultery.  Skipping church for sport/pleasure/visiting company/fill-in-the-blank defines rather clearly what our priorities are, doesn’t it?

And yes, feel free to point this out to me when the Stanly Cup finals are on.