A thought on sports

Alright, I've been pretty good so far this year and haven't brought up the greatest sports team in the history of all sports. That's right, everybody. I'm talking about the Lakers. The only team that can really come close is USC's football team, but that's for another day. Anyway, my Lakers are dominating the Nuggets thus far in the postseason and I'm hoping for a championship this June. I even stayed up past 11 last night to watch the game. This meant that I got less than five hours of sleep last night, but it was worth it. My condolences go out to Lauren and Micah at this time. Lauren, I'm sorry your Mavs probably won't make it out of the first round this year, but, on the bright side, at least they're being taken out by your (I'm assuming) favorite player, Chris Paul (who will lose out to Kobe for the MVP). And Micah, I'm sorry that you can't enjoy the greatest sport that has ever been invented ;)

And that leads me to the purpose for this post. At work today, I was thinking about why God allowed/ordained that sports would exist. Why did God put it in the heart of man to put forth physical exertion in competition against other men? This isn't a full answer, but I have two thoughts. Sports has a sinful purpose and a sanctified purpose. The sinful purpose of sports is the same as when the Israelites asked for a king in II Sam. 8 (I believe). This regards more the watching and idolization of sports more than the actual playing of them. I believe we watch and idolize sports and athletes because we are looking for a hero that looks like us rather than worshiping the true Hero who is not like us, but transcends us and condescended to be with us and like us. The heros we watch on Sunday afternoon are but a poor shadow and symbol of the Hero of the ages who bore every sin and carried our every infirmity and took them to the grave only to conquer the greatest enemy mankind has ever faced in Satan, sin and death (I Cor. 15) by rising from that grave and living in glory for all eternity. There is no greater hero. Sports can be either a sinful escape from the reality of Christ, or it can be sanctified by acknowledging it for what it is - a symbol of Christ and a display of God's handiwork. And this is the sanctified reason why I believe sports exists.

I believe God put sports into the hearts of men to serve first as a symbol of Christ, and second to display the greatness of God's creation. Psalm 139:14 says "I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well." God created man to display the greatness of his works. When we see how amazing the human body functions our thoughts should not terminate there on the sin of self-esteem, but rather our voices ought to resound with the praises of God for how amazing his workmanship is. Sports is one of the ways that we get to see the display of that workmanship. The human body is an amazing thing. The way muscles, ligaments, bones, nerves, sinews, etc. work together to acheive what the mind of the athlete desires is incredible. To see men jump over three feet in the air, or receivers run at a full sprint only to plant one foot and change their entire direction is absolutely incredible. The only words that we have to describe it are words that are generally used in religious contexts. And so it should be, because that display of athleticism is only a small aspect of how great and awesome our God is. His works are wonderful. He is the one who should be praised. God put it in the heart of man to play sports in order that we would look at the display of athleticism and not end there, but praise the display of God's wonderful works.