A few years ago I was a guest speaker at a camp that was geared towards young individuals. When the group’s first game began one of the group leaders started by telling a story based on Genesis 3 and 4. He spoke of the pleasures that games brought in Garden of Eden where the primary focus was on having fun. However, one day, the serpent was in the garden and tried to lure those who lived in Eden with the lure of scoring points. They gave into the temptation and began to keep scores in their games. it led to all kinds of evils : competitiveness, lust to win and cheating, anger, and fighting. They lost the pure enjoyment of playing.
The teacher told this story to let the children know that during the week of the camp, they will be introduced to non-competitive sports. There was no scoring and no losers or winners but just the pleasure of playing. However, there was a major problem : the games were totally boring. Every day, decreasing numbers of young players showed up at the game , and at the end of the day there was only few young people present.
Does this accurately portray the idea of a theology associated with sports? Evidently, I don’t believe that it is. I’d like to offer an overview and a broad understanding livescore spbo of the religion behind sports. If you don’t agree with that title, consider it to be “Why we should watch the Super Bowl!”
History can be described by three terms: Creation fall and redemption. When considering the theology behind the issue, you must think about what is its relationship to or reflection on creation, of redemption, or of the fall? When considering the topic of sports, I’ve added two additional terms to further expand our discussion salvation and incarnation (both that are obviously connected to the creation process, fall as well as redemption).
Creation God created everything. God could have made everything to be grey and usable. However, He has made a variety of colors, sizes and shape, scent and texture, as well as sounds and tastes. Why did He create this? He wanted the creation could reflect His personality and, specifically His beauty. This is truly a work of art in functionality and design. It is a masterpiece of art.
The concept of art is sometimes believed to consist of two kinds of visual art such as painting, sculpture, and architecture and performing art, such as dance, music, and drama. The Lord used both performing and visual art in his creation. Visual Art includes mountains, flowers trees; Performing Arts rivers and oceans, planet orbits, clouds. Some creations combine both.
Sports reflect this artistic activity of God. They also blend visual art (painted courts/fields team colors and logos) along with performing arts (the actual game). The sport is a reflection of the purpose and nature of creation. It is beautiful to watch a sport which is played to perfection, with a well-thrown ball or in a dive catch or in the double play. These things can create delight and joy as they reflect of how the world was designed to be. They’re displays of the art of (or artistic talent or artistry, if you prefer).
The Lord also created everything in a particular order not in a random manner, and He also put them in the creation laws or the rules that nature functions. The sports also have a certain order to them , and they are governed by rules under which they function. As the consequences are imposed for disobeying the established order (such as ignoring gravity) There are consequences for breaking the rules of sports. Sporting events reflect the nature and fundamentals of creation. Like Nature, the reflection when executed correctly, glorifies the Lord and brings the player satisfaction.
The fall man’s rebellion against sin. The curse that caused that fall is a part of every aspect of everything There is nothing that can escape it. That’s why we expect to witness signs of the fall on sports, and obviously we do. There are crimes of conduct and the sins of action.
The most fatal of these is the worship of sports when it occupies the top spot in the love of the heart as well as in the thoughts of the mind. If life is planned the games that are played, or when an individual’s outlook is determined by whether the team wins or loses, they have gone over the line to an unhealthy and unhealthy obsession.
There are many other bad attitudes that occur when winning is the sole thing that counts in a situation where a person will take whatever steps necessary to achieve success, or when personal glory is the ultimate goal, and when people get overly confident or angry. All of these are sins that result from the fall. The fall can be seen in sports with actions like using steroids fixing games and corking bats of bench-emptying fights and many other things.
Incarnation is the incarnation of our beings and the incarnation confirms the fact that our bodies are more than just storage for souls. Even our final state will be composed of bodies, glorified bodies, however they are still bodies. The Christian life is not about judging the body, but rather it is about bringing it under the control in order to honour the Lord.
Sports are among the ways that we can help to achieve that. Sporting requires discipline and the discipline of our bodies for activities can extend into our spiritual life. Sporting requires determination, delay satisfaction, and a sturdiering for the human body. They also teach you how to be part of a team and how to submit to the authority of others, how to motivate those who aren’t as naturally gifted as other people, and how to strike hard. Also, they help to develop patience. Even time spent at the gym is a sanctifying experience.
Sport is one of the ways that we can honor the reality and truth of the incarnation, and praise God through our bodies in ways that honor God.
Salvation: The story of the salvation story is dramatic. A play, to be effective, is dependent at a minimum on understanding motion, timing and movement. In the story of salvation it was evident that the Lord had a game plan and a plan of action prior to the start of time. The game-plan was set in motion and we now know as the events and people that unfolded in time. It was all carried out in God’s time – Galatians explains that Christ arrived at the perfect the time. This drama continues to be played out to this day. It’s the story that C.S. Lewis called the real myth.
Actors and actresses who perform in drama must know their lines (knowledge) and they have to know where they’re required to appear in the sequence (motion) and to know when to perform their role and how to speak the right words (timing). The best dramas also have that sensation of being a genuine myth.
This incredibly concept of motion, knowledge, and time is evident in the sports. The concept of knowledge is evident in the strategies and plays which are part of the game. The motion can be seen as the execution of the strategies and they’re only effective when the timing of all involved is accurate. The sport of sports is a drama and have that mythological quality to them. It is possible that a the appeal of sports stems due to the nature of them being universal and are a part of the human experience. Some might say the sport transcends entertainment and have an important meaning and essential to the lives of those who are devoted to sports.
The root of our salvation lies in the saving work of Christ He gave his life to us, his blood and body.
Sports is one of the few arenas that you are able to offer your body to the benefit of other people. A lot of sports activities such as a block, diving catch, or a challenging gymnastic exercise – are the sacrifice of your body for the benefit that of your team. It is a demonstration in the name of Jesus Christ.
Redemption The joy of redemption is in the process of restoration. Once redemption is achieved in full and completeness, it will be glorified – that will be a complete joy and undisturbed pleasure. The pleasures and joys of life are gifts from God. They’re never fully satisfying, but they provide glimpses of what full satisfaction will look like.
