Football, Sports, Politics

Fandom Versus Discipleship: 

Zion Won’t be Redeemed on the Football Field

I loved football as a kid. I remember listening to NFL games on my old handheld radio as a young kid since we didn’t have cable. I was a 49ers fan because Steve Young had played at BYU when my dad was there at college. I had a sweet 49ers hat that had cool lightning bolts all over it. I’m sure it was super tacky, but I loved it. I also got to go to a few live Seahawks games once I moved to Washington and I rooted for them too. Those were amazing experiences. 

Later in high school I got too busy to follow football and didn’t care so much. But when I got to BYU and got to go to some live games, some of that love of the sport started coming back. But at this point, not only did I root for BYU because I liked my school, but also because I felt like they represented me and my faith. 

I remember reading an article a few years ago that talked about how we think when our team wins that it represents a triumph of the things we stand for. We might associate our hometown, our beliefs, etc. with our favorite sports team. And a victory for our team is a victory for us and our values. While I couldn't find that article I did find the following quote:

In the case of sports, there is compelling evidence that this is basically a real relationship in your brain. In a very real sense, the sports team becomes a part of you. You just feel like whatever success it achieves is a personal success, and whatever failure it has is a personal failure. You can’t cut the team off without cutting off a part of yourself. Even if the team is losing, you have so much of yourself wrapped up in it that you can’t just walk away. To do so is to give up on a part of yourself.

(Science of Being a Sports Fan -Smithsonian)

I think we do the same with politics and religion. Sometimes we look at politics as a team competing against the other team rather than considering the issues. We vote based on our “team” rather than on what we really believe. Or we pick our team based on one principle that matters a lot to us and we vote accordingly. I don’t know the solution to this, but I do know that we don’t need to vilify the other team. Because we are all on the same team when we boil things down. 

Even when it comes to religion I think that we really are on the same team. Rather than pitting our beliefs against those of someone else, we can realize that we are all battling for good. We desire happiness, peace and love. This is true if someone believes in Jesus, other religious figures or no god at all. Even if someone might be considered a "bad person", it isn’t that person that is bad, but there may be evil influences at play in their life. This can give us compassion, but doesn’t mean we should tolerate social behaviors that cause harm. In reality we are all seeking light. I believe that all good comes from and through the influence of Jesus Christ whether someone acknowledges Him or not. I do not believe that truth is relative. But I believe that God is working in all of us no matter our beliefs. 

We call this influence of God working on every person the Light of Christ. It is defined as an ennobling influence that motivates us to do good. What we are all seeking in this life is greater light. This comes as love, the beauty of nature, kindness, goodness, closeness to God, etc. Light cleaveth unto light. Like is attracted to like and as we progress in our closeness to this influence, we gain further light and knowledge. 

Anyways, I think part of why I put so much fervor into sports was that I thought BYU being amazing would contribute to the growth of the church. I thought this would bring the world closer to the times of peace prophesied in the Millennium when Christ returns. But in seeking to build God’s kingdom in the ways of the world I actually just distanced myself from God. I think it is fine to root for sports teams. It doesn’t matter which team. However, there is not a correlation with BYU athletics and the Lord’s work (except the discipline and honor gained in individuals’ lives). God is working in all athletes. He does not favor one group based on their affiliation. He loves those who serve Him and delight to honor Him. He doesn’t need BYU to win another National Championship and he doesn’t need a member of the church to become president. I love God. I desire to see Him work in lives of those who need Him. I desire to see Him make a change in a relationship that is struggling. I hope to see His hand in the life of someone who feels that they’ve hit rock bottom. That is where God is: in our individual lives (which also can include sports or whatever endeavors are important to us).

In regards to what will bring about the era of peace prophesied in the scriptures we gain a clue from the book of Doctrine and Covenants.

D&C 101:75

There is even now already in store sufficient, yea, even an abundance, to redeem Zion, and establish her waste places, no more to be thrown down, were the churches, who call themselves after my name, willing to hearken to my voice.

So let us listen to His voice. Let us “Hear Him!”  The church doesn’t need more money, members, recognition or anything. What we need to do is to listen to Christ’s voice through the light of Christ, the Holy Ghost and the words of church leaders. It is amazing to think that the church had enough of all of that in 1833. No wonder President Nelson is trying so hard to teach us about the power that comes through our covenants and our relationship with Christ. When we truly become that kind of person, then missionary efforts will flourish and blossom naturally. We will have love for God and one another and we will be united in peace and love. That my friends is Zion, aka the pure in heart.

And de-coupling my love for BYU with my love for God I can still say, "Go Cougars!"