On Thursday, September 10, 2015 the Steelers and Patriots kicked off what many people consider to be the highlight of their lives: football season. Every week hundreds of millions of fans pour into stadiums and turn on the TV to watch these tremendous athletes put their bodies on the line and compete for a victory.  Just a few weeks ago the Broncos defeated the Panthers in the Super Bowl to take home the coveted Lombardi trophy.  And with that game, the season was over.  For many, the season of waiting has begun.  Wait for the NFL free agency.  Then wait for the draft.  Then wait to see who the new up-and-comers are in training camp.  And finally, the new season can begin.  While there is certainly a lot of room for idolatry in football (see here for an excellent demonstration of this), we can also look back and learn some valuable lessons.  In fact, looking back on this season, there was one thing in particular that stood out to me. Unity.

As a loving fan of the Arizona Cardinals, I put a lot of heart into cheering for my team.  I enjoy the wins, and am heartbroken over the losses.  However, win or lose, the experience is always made better through a type of community you hardly see anywhere else.  When the game is on the line, and your team makes an incredible play, you may find yourself hugging and high-fiving a stranger. There is something about sports that brings people together.  When I’m driving down the freeway and see an Arizona Cardinals bumper sticker on the car next to me, all of the sudden I feel a connection.  I can’t help but give a small wave to the guy I see in Circle K wearing a Cardinals hat.  Why is that? I think it’s because we all get to come together for a single cause.  Despite the different backgrounds, different jobs, different incomes, and different personalities, we are all brought together for one goal. So whether it be as fans pile into a stadium, watch the game at the local sports bar, or band together through various hashtags on social media, a beautiful community is made.
It’s so easy to find unity in the color of a uniform, yet so hard to find unity in the cross of Jesus Christ.  People unite in truly amazing ways to cheer on their local sports team.  If it’s true that the cause, that is, the object of our worship and cornerstone of our unity, is what holds a community together, then how much stronger should the bond be among Christians?  Sure, a Super Bowl victory might be cool for a while.  You get to see your favorite athletes accomplish what they’ve spent their whole lives working for, you get to buy some new “Super Bowl Champions” gear, and of course you can take advantage of bragging rights over all the other team’s fans.  But after a short while, that excitement fades.  The joy will be gone, and all the work we put in to our local Sports communities will seem somewhat out of place, and maybe even over the top.  1 John 1:1-3, however, tells us of a cause that is much greater than football, that has the power to unite us in much more powerful ways.  John writes:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

The good news of Jesus Christ declares that we have rebelled against our Creator God.  We have shaken our fists at God and tried to do things our own way.  Despite this, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to take on human flesh (Phil. 2:5-10). Though Christ was tempted in every way we are, He lived a perfect life, only to be murdered by the very people who He came to save.  As Jesus hung on that cross, God the Father poured out all the wrath that was meant for us onto His Son, killing Him.  Three days later, this very same Jesus Christ rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, and bringing new life to all who would believe.  In the cross of Jesus Christ we have a cause that is so much greater than football.  Let that cause unite us and bring us together as it was meant to.  The communities we experience in our local fan bases should serve as a just a small taste of the type of community we are invited to enjoy in the Kingdom of God.  However, the football community should not serve as a substitution for the much more real community of the children of God. The King of the Universe gave His life for us, so let’s celebrate that together.