In the wake of Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's home run record I have been reflecting on my own feelings towards the record and sports in general as well as society's.
While I certainly do believe that Bonds cheated and used steroids to pass Aaron on the all-time home run list I found myself getting wrapped up in my own feelings of resentment towards the record being broken. While I do not believe that having a negative opinion of the record is necessarily a bad thing, for me I found myself being more concerned with that perceived injustice than many other injustices worldwide.
This is probably because sports is such an idol in my life and American culture in general. I love sports, but I feel that to a certain extent they have given the men in our culture an excuse from spending more time with their families or church and have distracted their attention away from God. How many men's, myself included, top priority on Sunday is to watch their favorite football team play rather than living for the glory of God? Additionally, sports provide so much room for boasting in the self rather than in the Cross of Christ. We see them as an escape from reality, a chance to be the hero on the field rather than seeing that Christ is the true hero in our lives and only in Him will change in this world ever be effected.
While I will still continure to love and enjoy sports I need to make sure I do not place them above the gospel. I guess all of this should make me realize that I need to concentrate more on what God has achieved rather than what man has done.
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Good stuff man ... I've been listening to sports radio a ton lately, and it's pretty incredible to hear how emotional and wrapped up callers into shows can get about their sports teams. You would think their lives are falling apart because the Reds won't trade Adam Dunn or because the Bengals don't get Odell Thurman back.
It's easy to say, "c'mon Derek you're taking things too far", but we really do need to examine the things in our lives that we elevate to a place that replaces the gospel as ultimate in our lives ... and for men, sports is one that can top the list.
Great word brother.
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