By CEDE SPORTS Staff, Baird Yasenchok
The Super Bowl is right around the corner and the teams are set: the 49ers vs the Chiefs. The advertisers are lined up: 30 second slots sold out months earlier than expected. Usher is ready to take the stage at halftime: claiming: “One performance. 30 Years in the making”. The teams, their fans, and plenty of A-listers will descend on Las Vegas in the coming days.
For CBS, no second of the night will go unaccounted for. For the fans, the day could not carry more anticipation. And for the players? Well, they have been dreaming about this chance since the day they first put on pads and stepped on a field in youth sports. Nothing is grander, louder, or brighter than the Allegiant Stadium lights on the night of February 11th.
Back home, behind the television screens, you can find a wide range of viewers. Some people tune in to the game for the commercials. Some for the free concert, with a side of sport. Some for the love of the game, even if they don’t belong to one of the competing fanbases. While others are watching every down and cheering or groaning as the game progresses. They have studied up, knowing the predictions, the weak spots, and the secret weapons on the field. Watching with rapt attention as the seconds tick away. They are fully invested. They feel it in their bones.
These fans care who wins the game. The players and coaches obviously care who wins. For them, so much attention is on the outcome of this game. But what about the rest of us: does your neighbor care who wins? Your boss? Your pastor? Does your 4th grade math teacher care who wins? What about the lady you met last week at the post office? Your barista from this morning? Does God care who wins the Super Bowl?
Sure, we are asking about the biggest stage of football, but does the answer change if it is a Pop Warner league instead? Does His care change if we are the ones playing or if we are simply spectating? Does he care who wins the high school conference match or the olympic trials? Is he paying attention to your first round of golf or does he only start noticing once your handicap goes down? What about who wins the board game during family game night?
Our yes or no answer has more implications than we first realize. It shapes how we view competition, training, the champions, the losers, and most importantly, God himself.
If you are interested in thinking more deeply about this question, let Bob Schindler’s book, Does God Care Who Wins?, lead you through scripture, culture, and personal reflection. If you are a coach, sports minister, athlete, or fan, you should desire to parse through these ideas and know what weight your efforts hold in God’s eyes. Whether you read it on your own or discuss it with your team, you are sure to walk away with a greater appreciation for your involvement in sports and God’s involvement in our lives.
You can order your copy of the book on Amazon or directly from the publisher.
I invite you to leave a comment with your Super Bowl prediction and of course, we would love to hear your thoughts on the book as you dive deeper into the question. Happy reading and happy viewing on Sunday!