Why God Loves Sports

In case you haven’t heard, a game is being played this Sunday. It is a very big game, played by very big men and a lot of people care way too much about the outcome. I’ll be happy either way because I like both the Packers and the Steelers. (But I will be rooting for the Packers.)

Of course our culture is obsessed with sports, not just football. But sports obsession is not just an American malady. Ever watch World Cup Soccer? How about the Olympics? I will admit that we Americans are more obsessed with sports than most other nations, but there are good reasons for this obsession. We have incredible access to sports, if not to play then certainly to watch. And we have money to spend on our sports obsessions.
Whether we should or not is another question. But it’s undeniable that we do. Just ask Jerry Jones.

I think our love of sports goes deeper. Human beings are wired for play. God made us not just for work and worship; he also made us for play. We are made to play and to enjoy watching others play. As we are made in God’s image, I think He also likes play. At times sports bring out the best of His creation. And, unfortunately, at times sports bring out the worst.

God loves sports even though he knows who will win and who will lose. He doesn’t care much about that. God loves sports even though too much money changes hands, legally or otherwise. He knows that some play in the light and some play in the dark. But, He still likes sports because sports are fun. (He created fun too, you know.) He likes to see how we will play and how will we cheer for those who play. He likes to see how we will handle winning and, perhaps more importantly, how we will handle losing. So enjoy the Super Bowl and behave as though God were sitting there beside you with a beer and a slice of pizza. (And maybe…just maybe, He’s even wearing a cheesehead this year.)