By seeking to make something with the “ingredients” we have been given we reach through what is seen and encounter the Living One who created all there is in the first place. The more deeply we penetrate into very nature of the world the more we come to know God. “The human person (the athlete)” says Staniloae, “discovers ever new alternative dimensions of creative things not merely through his own reasons and new combinations and uses of things themselves, but also through the feelings and continual new thoughts his body produces in its contact with things.” God may be experienced within the sport itself, within the practice and the play. He is discovered in the perfecting of specific motions (biomechanics), the psychology of performance, pushing the limits of the human body, etc. Of course, we are not saying that God is identical with the “thing-in-itself”, rather we are suggesting that God can be known – experienced – in and through His creation (the sport), not looking beyond it, but attending to every detail. The greater, the deeper, the more passionate one pursues excellence within a given sport, that is, the more one gives oneself to their sport through faith, God reveals himself in new and ever surprising ways and often times in unexpected moments. “What” we are to offer God – our response – in light what he has given us is nothing short of our total selves, our passionate pursuit to become the best at the sport we love. Here, “how” the gift is offered makes all the difference.
As we saw with Abel, the acceptable offering is one that is given by “faith”. Faith is a disposition before God; it is simultaneously knowing oneself as a forgiven sinner, yet boldly calling God, “Our Father”. This bold, yet humble posture is characterized by a belief (faith), a hope and a love. Faith consists of the belief that what God has revealed about Himself is true. The athlete begins and orients her existence from the perspective that God created all there is for the purpose of participating in God’s life. They comprehend that the telos – the ultimate purpose – of every human being is to partake in the Divine life. And so they trust that through Jesus Christ they enjoy this communion with God. In addition to the primary means of grace offered through the church, the Christian Athlete realize that God can be known through His creation, and more specifically for them, He can be experienced within the practice and play of their sport.
What drives you to become the best you can be at given sport? The Christian athlete understands that by seeking to become the best they can be, they are “offering themselves as living sacrifices”. Which is to say, they are motivated by the gifts of God, and seeking to become the best they can be is their way of responding – giving thanks – to God. This response is the athlete’s attempt to love God with all her “heart, soul and mind”. In addition, they are driven by the fact that in doing so they will come to know the living God in ever new and transformative ways. Any other motivation misses the mark – is sinful.
(I think it is important for us to keep in mind that this side of heaven our motivations are never perfect. There will be moments we forget, become distracted and compete for the wrong reasons. Which is to say, there will be times that we will need to repent. We are always on our way and we never arrive perfectly until the consummation of all things, so remember it’s not in being perfect, but in striving through faith to be, that God meets us and transforms us. )
What I think is so refreshing and exciting about all this is that God has given us a medium through which to experience His life in ordinary “worldly” things (sports…) that we enjoy. Think of all the diversity of gifts and interest that God has scattered throughout humanity – arts, sports, music, science, business, and the list goes on. We are able to grow in and express our love for God in and through something that we are very much interested in and are good at. The athlete expresses his love for God through her dedication, sacrifice, and perseverance to make most of the gifts that God has given to them.
“How” the Christian Athlete works and plays at sport makes all the difference. We come to the sport with a certain “belief” that in and through this sport we will encounter the living God, and we practice and play with a certain “love” of the game and out of a loving heart for God. Finally, this “how” – faith – is rounded out with certain “hope”. This hope is not wishful in nature, rather it is the surety that upholds the Christian’s existence. This hope is none than, Jesus Christ! He is the guarantee of our salvation and our final victory. This Hope is the advantage that the Christian athlete enjoys over the non- believing one. You see, The Christian has already won – Jesus Christ is the prize of the world. This reality frees the Christian athlete to rise above the “worldly” trappings of sports and to play the game as it is intended to be played. And thus, experience the “joy” of the sport as God intended it to be in the first place.
Everything is different for the athlete that places his faith in Jesus Christ. They don’t play for the glory of the game; they play simply because they love it. Their identity is not wrapped up in their performance, for they know themselves as a child of God. They compete to win, for that is the nature of a game, but they compete for something even greater, they compete to win God. The Christian athlete seeks through their practice and play to encounter the living God, and this becomes a real possibility when the athlete practices and plays in faith – belief, trust, love, hope.
I think this is very well said. Again, the olympian Eric Little “when I run I feel His pleasure.” What am I looking for in my sport? And why am I looking for it? Except…it’s not an”it”…it’s Who.
In my semi-retirement I’ve been given a block of time to spend that I haven’t had in decades. Not since high school and college. “Back in the day” I was an athlete of sorts. Yes, I put way too much pressure on my sporting prowess to shape for me an “acceptable identity” among my peers. When the Christ’s Holy Spirit blew into the void I had created in my soul by mid-college the first thing to be transformed was the position of and motivation for sports in my life. Incredibly liberating! But that was then. This is now. And since I now once again have significant time I can spend I have decided to do more than just play golf more. I have decided to enter (with a coach) the incredibly painstaking discipline of reshaping my swing so that I can continue to play this sport (without inflicting significant pain and injury on myself) “as year succeeds to year” (to borrow from the old hymn). I’ve become fascinated by the similarities between learning the biomechanics, “how the brain learns,” etc. and the “reshaping” process of becoming a disciple and the disciplines for this process that have emerged and been time tested in the Church over the centuries. But here’s the thing: today’s post made me realize that my intellectual fascination had not been accompanied in equal measure with a truly Personal devotion in my practice. It’s like I left my faith in the car once I got to the practice range with an agreement to “pick up the conversation” once I finished and got back in the car. Frankly, I’ve been wrestling with a bit of guilt at the amount of time I’ve been focussing on this swing change instead of pursuing ways of “being more productive.” This post encourages me to bring my Christian motivation to the range in a more direct and intentional way….and hopefully carry over more when actually out on the course! I trust His Spirit to help guide my use of time, keep everything in balance, keep my eyes and heart open to fresh opportunities to be a Christian friend, etc.. This week I intend to “practice with Jesus” and see how all that turns out. Well said, John. Thanks.