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Recently on my way to lunch, a friend and I happened upon an art exhibit in a downtown
hotel lobby. AFTER eating lunch – I do have my priorities – we decided to casually stroll
through the exhibit. We looked at the various reproductions of classic artists such as Van
Gogh, Picasso, and Monet. For some of the pieces, we scratched our heads and wondered
why. For others, we paused and marveled at their beauty and craftsmanship.

Toward the end of the exhibit, we came to a series of large, framed photographs of football
stadiums. Notre Dame Stadium, Michigan Stadium, Heinz Field, and Gillette Stadium were
among several prominently displayed football facilities in the exhibit. Each football stadium
appeared clad in the team’s colors – green and gold at Notre Dame, blue and yellow at
Michigan, black and yellow at Heinz, etc. The sheer number of fans in attendance at each
stadium staggers the imagination. Indeed, few events could draw 105,000 fans to an
outdoor stadium for three hours in a Michigan winter!

While staring at these framed photos, I commented that our gaze fell upon America’s
cathedrals. My friend shot me a quizzical expression, and I repeated my assertion that
sports stadiums and arenas serve as modern America’s houses of worship. After I
explained, he concurred that most Americans do view our athletes and our sporting
coliseums as idols.

Certainly, God created humans with a desire to worship. Romans 1:20 states, “From the
time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made.
They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they
have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” Obviously, Almighty God demands that
we worship only Him.

Clearly, though, some choose to ignore this basic teaching. Look at verse 23 of the same
chapter, “And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made
to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes.” Certainly, the worship of idols
continues today. In our culture, the object of that worship has changed over the years.
Today, Americans seem inclined to worship, among other things, the god of sports.

Consider the influence of the sporting world on our culture. We spend our hard-earned
dollars on outrageously priced tickets so that we may go and express our devotion in these
magnificent coliseums of worship. We make a point to attend these worship services called
games even during inclement weather such as freezing cold temperatures, rainstorms, ice,
sleet, and snow; and even high heat and humidity. If we cannot afford to attend in person,
we worship by watching the game on television or by listening on the radio. We display our
devotion by wearing authentic athletic apparel so that we may dress just like our team. In so
doing, we feel as if we can personally cheer our favorite team on to victory.

Indeed, we have replaced the worship of our Creator with the worship of His creation by
elevating the athlete to god-like status. We justify incredible salaries for athletes just
because they excel at playing a game. We cheer our favorite sports competitors with
intense enthusiasm while in attendance at games, and we lavish them with praise during
personal encounters. We beg for their autographs while secretly wishing that we could
trade places with them. Do you remember the Gatorade / Michael Jordan commercial from a
few years ago that asked us, “Don’t you want to be like Mike!?!” Sure, virtually everyone
wants to “be like Mike.” Imitation truly serves as the sincerest form of flattery, or, in our
nation’s case, idolatry.

Please do not misunderstand my intent. I do not claim that watching a ballgame is evil. Nor
am I saying that we should abandon athletics. Instead, I merely call for balance in our lives.
Remember, life does not revolve around sports. Let’s attempt to maintain the proper
perspective. The worship of Jesus the Christ comes first. Spending time with our families
and engaging in family activities must come next. Everything else must stand in line behind
these high-priority activities. Let’s remember to keep our priorities straight and to place our
love for sports in perspective.