Monday, September 15, 2014

Are You Ready for Some Football??

We kicked off a new football season this week.  It's neat because there is a great feel of excitement in the air.  It is amazing.

I try to understand why I feel this excitement, and why so many feel it so much more intensely than I do.

I have been to a total of 2 Alabama football games in 31 years.  I missed 3 seasons being away, but that still isn't much of a record, because I am not much of a fan.  I root for the team and listened to them over the WWW last year in Africa.  I often try to be doing something else while the game is on.  All that to say that I am not a very good fan.

I am trying to figure out the fanatical fans.  In truth even the just-very-loyal fans are a mystery.  I know some of the most highly committed fans never attended the school they so strongly support.

Here are some ideas:
  • Opportunity to be part of something bigger,
  • Opportunity to identify with success,
  • Another cause for celebration,
  • A helpful replacement for some of the hurts and disappointments in life.

Not sure that any of these are accurate, just trying to figure this fan stuff out.  maybe it is a combination of all of these and more, with different motivations speaking more strongly to different people.

In the Southeastern USA, it is often remarked that people are more excited, more enthusiastic, more dedicated to football than they are to Christianity.  Exaggeration?  Maybe, maybe not.

Take another look at that list.  If those are motivators, it would seem that we ought to be MUCH more excited about Christianity.

Why aren't we?

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