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So I wonder WWJP? Gimme a sec, I’ll get there.
I was born the same year the Minnesota Vikings began playing in the NFL. Most often, people root for a sports team that represents their city, state or region. Consequently my folks were Packer fans first and later became Viking fans. It was easy to choose Titletown’s Packers over those dirty Bears...but that’s another story.
I am told that THE rivalry in the NFL is between the Bears and Packers. But with the advent of a Minnesota football franchise, people from the Twin Cities through western Wisconsin have developed a very strong border rivalry--especially due to the success of the Vikings in the late 60’s through the early 80’s and the Packer’s lack of success.
I find a parallel here between two hierarchical triads: sports, football, and the Packers; and the Creation, religion and Christianity. In both of these triads you will find detractors, but stay with me.
Almost everyone can agree that the Creation is good. Or if you are not “God-oriented” let’s just say “the universe” is good. Almost everyone can agree that some form of sport is good. Whether it is participation or observation; being active is a good thing. Some people are spiritually inclined and some are not. Some people like to run, bike, race cars. Some people watch or play football, others baseball and still others (for some unknown reason) like soccer. Some spiritually minded folks are Buddhist and others Muslim. There are plenty of Deist, Wiccans, Baha’is, Hindus, and Christians. For football fans, some like the Vikings, others the Packers; in the NFL alone you have 32 teams from which to choose a favorite. God help us all, some people actually support the Cowboys.
The trouble I have with the Packers, as a Viking fan, is not the players, but the fans. I dislike obnoxious behavior that I am sure they see in me. I dislike the way they tout that their team has won the Super Bowl (yes, I know: three times) and is therefore better than my team; putting me down because I have props for a Super Bowl loser (four times over). They are still my team, we love the same game, and we love the same sport. Do Packer fans have the exclusive rights to love football and sports in general?
So that brings me to WWJP? (Whom Would Jesus Prop?) Would Jesus be a Cheesehead? Is Packer football any more pleasing to God, than Viking football? Or would Jesus love the whole league—even the Cowboys. Do Christians have exclusive rights to worship God? Would Jesus follow the World Cup (soccer)? Most certainly. Christians are the obnoxious fans of God that the rest of the religious community distains. Nobody likes the fan that crams their beliefs down other people’s throats. Me? I still like the Packers—it’s the hate-filled zealous fans I can do without. Moreover, when I see Viking fans tailgating and burning Packer jerseys on days that the Vikings are playing the Lions, I don’t much like Viking fans either. But I love the sport.
God creates out of love. God loves the creation so much that we Christians believe God sent the Word (Jesus the Messiah) into the creation to love us, teach us and die for us. Above all I believe God’s act was one of love for the creation. Christians too often feel as though they have the exclusive right to God’s love and the providence of the creation. From my perspective, Christians are the Packer fans of the religious community. Is it any wonder that Christians are seen as exclusivists, hate-mongerers, prejudicial and hypocritical? I am a Christian, but I am not so sure I like Christians.
Love the sport, love the creation, love the athlete, love the fan, love the fact that other fans are reaching toward God. And maybe you should learn a little something about Soccer, maybe you will find something about American football that is more meaningful because of it. Learn something of another’s faith, you just might find God there too.
Hmmm... I think I need to let this one sink in for a while, and see where it takes me. I like the analogy in some ways, but being a fan of a football team seems pretty dependent on the human. That is, we choose to be one or not, and we choose to cheer or be obnoxious or not. But doesn't God choose us? So is Christianity really a "choice" in the same way? I DO agree with you about the obnoxiousness of lots of Christians, however, and that's one reason why I think we (as mainline protestant and Catholic folk) need to learn how to do evangelism in ways that are authentic to who (and whose) we are.
ReplyDeleteWhen setting up an allegory, perhaps not all things translate, however...
ReplyDeleteGod chooses everyone...but not everyone is a Christian. We are all God's; but we do choose to be or not to be associated with a particular set of beliefs that human beings interpret as Christian.
Is God a Christian? Was Jesus? In this vein I do think of Christianity as a human convention that attempts to model itself after the Christ-event. And we human choose to play along or not.
I don't necessarily think what human's perceive as Christian is everything God intended the creation to be. Hence, Christians can be obnoxious. Or our portrayal of Christianity (missing the mark) is obnoxious.
Interesting take. I do think that often times we become so inward focused that our faith becomes all about us. There are times when Christians make themselves the true markers of faith. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and realize that we worship a God who loves and who sent his Son to save the world not condemn it.
ReplyDeleteI find your post very interesting, possibly because I like football and other sports so much!
ReplyDeleteIn calling (some) Christians obnoxious, or at least our/their potrayal of Christianity obnoxious, I wonder if you really mean our/their sin/shortcoming/failures/missings of the mark are obnoxious.
We fail to live perfect Christ-following lives. We fail to walk as Jesus walked and do what Jesus did. (Rom 10)
BUT, we are forgiven!!! That's the good news. Luke 4, 8 and 17 talk about Jesus bringing the good news to the broken world we live in!!
I believe God likes football. Not because football is some spiritual high, but because God's children enjoy football and God can/does recieve Glory through the joy of His children.
What an amazing creation we live in, indeed!!
Nate
Yes we are forgiven. Thanking God for that! :)
ReplyDeleteHowever, the obnoxiousness about which I speak is the way in which arrogant Christians act as though they have everything figured out. If you say you have, I think you are lying or deluded. I think we have some things figured out but most things we have to take on faith not fact. I believe our task is to serve human kind and be apart of the Kingdom as it works throughout the creation. NOT to shame people into conversion or pretend to have ALL the answers. We are to point to Jesus NOT jam him down people's throats.
People are turning out and turning away in part because of the way they perceive Christians. The stereotypical understanding of what it means to be a Christian, by those who are not, is...well...it is not a pretty picture.
Read between the brackets, it is clipped from the first google search of:
"perceptions of what a Christian is"
(from 10:49 a.m. June 29, 2010)
[WHAT is the christian perception of reality?
What is the christian perception of reality?
After reading many threads and posts, after listening to christian media, listening to preachers, evangelists, reading religious printer matter, ect, one can only come to the conclusion that most christians live in an alternate world. Do we all live on the same planet?
No newspaper prints everything that happens daily on our planet. There are many problems, and millions suffer.
Do christians even read newspapers (besides sports and entertainment)?
Or, if a christian reads about a natural disaster which has killed and hurt many people, is the attitude thus: it didn't happen to me, so I don't wanna hear about it?
Or, if by some chance, you encounter a report of a natural disaster, do you think (think!) about it, or do you quickly turn to the bible to forget what you just heard? If you think about it, what do you think...oh well, that's just too bad for them!
Is the christian world a realm of rainbows, butterflies, smiling babies, chirping birds, happy ice-cream vendors, and beautiful flowers.
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/religion-philosophy/322731-what-christian-perception-reality.html#ixzz0sG2WYQ7x"
I just wish the Lions were good enough to be included in this discussion.
ReplyDeleteI hesitate to say what I want, but would love to fill anyone in on more in voice conversation if the chance ever comes up. I may not talk about the Packers here or the NFL. First off the Packer fan knows that they are twelve time world champs and not just three time Super Bowl winners. Enough, as I play into the role that fits me best. The role that I have seen first hand in Lutherans, and most importantly ELCA Pastors. I have sat in on meetings were things were said about other denominations and faiths that has me rethinking if I want to be associated with present church leaders. So do the actions of a few ruin the hole pot? Your blog seems to paint that picture. Of course for me I am asking how many actions will it take to ruin the whole pot? I am not talking about social positions but comments like: "The (fill in the church body) have it wrong." "I want no one going to that church for any reason." "How can they worship or believe that?" In the end I remain a faithful follower at the alter that Curly built and will listen to St. Vince. "If they did not care about who won, they would not keep score!"
ReplyDelete