“Happy Saturday fam! I’m down in Miami…covering the World Baseball Classic!…it’s been a blast so far! I’m covering Pool D which is all the Caribbean teams…the games are like a playoff game as this is their World Cup! It’s like one big party for them the whole game. They bring their flags and instruments in the stadium and everything!” So read the text my son shared yesterday.
My initial reaction was excitement and joy. Can’t you imagine the scene? The moment of truth is happening on the field, completely wrapped in nations’ flags and the allegiance of deafening patriotic music. Instinctively, I wished I, too, had the honor of being there. At that moment, the Champion of all champions, our hero Jesus, delivered his review to my ears and heart. His headline was: sports stadium roars with faithful fans; but My church arena fails to soar with impassioned believers. Ouch!
God’s children, with every ounce of strength rally, loudly, behind the worldly game of home runs; but sadly, we dally in silent weakness when it comes to the divine win of running home to heaven. Instead of bemoaning this reality, I choose, instead, to dream of what it could (and should) be like if we rallied behind our God as we do our sports teams.
Let me say upfront, it is not wrong to cheer for our team. What’s wrong is not giving God equal loyalty, enthusiasm and wholehearted support and praise. We are not called to do away with jubilant cheers and sport celebrations. However, aren’t we, first and foremost, called to wave high the banner of Christ’s Cross and “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn — shout for joy before the Lord, the King. Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord.” Psalms 98: 4-9 (NIV)?
Bottom line is it is not wrong to cheer for our team till our vocal cords are strained into silence. None the less, our greater privilege is to rid ourselves of current day laryngitis and resoundingly cry out our adoration to (and for) our Lord. Visualize with me a goose bump producing, stadium size congregation singing love, praise and devotion to the greatest winner of all, our brother, Jesus Christ. Now, this is the celebration to which I long for my ticket to read “standing room only”! Amen and alleluia!!!
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 