"God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure."
Bad week for sport
If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. John 8:7My newspaper has been full on negative sports stories this week – and that without reference to our cricketing disasters!
Serena Williams threat to stuff a tennis ball down the throat of a line judge;
Renault admitting to instructing one of their drivers to crash deliberately in the Singapore Grand Prix;
A Manchester City player facing two charges of disrepute over a game against his former team.
Perhaps the Puritans were right that the world of sport is wicked and we should have nothing to do with it! But are sportspeople any more sinful than politicians, businesspeople or you and me? When I lose my temper, no one knows. When a high profile sportsperson loses their temper there are cameras at every angle, TV replays, Youtube etc to make sure every person on the planet knows about it.
Sadly for most newspapers a tennis player losing her temper is a bigger story that the amazing comeback of a unseeded mother to win a Grand Slam or an unknown Argentinian toppling the World Number 1.
There is no doubt that what those cited above did was wrong – but can I point a finger at them without 4 pointing back? Can we honestly say that we have never wanted to stuff a tennis ball down an official’s throat? [Adjust for your own sport!] I certainly have. "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone"
Those of us who minister to professional sportspeople need to understand the pressure, the emotion, the need to win, the frustration and disappointment with one’s own performance. When people we serve “blow-it” we need to be there for them and not be with those who condemn. We need to remind them of Jesus who still loves them and will forgive them – just as he still loves us and forgives us our daily failings.
Have you prayed for any of the three – or sent them a note of support and understanding?
In any case isn’t the fact that the world of sport is sinful the very reason why we as Christians need to be there, making sure the grace of God is active in that needy place? Let us seek to share the good news of Jesus with sportspeople. Let us be an influence for God’s standards in sport. Let us be active in our clubs and federations so that our Christian voice can be heard.
As my friend John White says, “We really don’t want to lose the glory of the game. Sport is too good to watch it fade away without a serious attempt to bring positive change".