Yesterday the team from Japan beat the US team to win the Women's World Cup Soccer Championship. Bruce over at Fallen From Grace made this keen observation:
In the realm of sports, gods -- particularly the Christian God -- seem to the biggest fans of all. I don't know how many times a member of the winning team will say that the team's win or the star player's big moment was directed from above. It was our destiny because of our belief in the almighty, you often hear someone say.
But when it comes to natural or human-caused disasters, these very same gods seem to be asleep on the job. To be sure, they often are lauded and praised for "saving" a stray person here and there, but a god that can deliver a sports win for a city, state or country can't seem to pull off the same kind of miracle to save the vast majority from pain and suffering in a city, county, region or state.
Does that mean that to a god sports are more important than life itself? It would seem so.
Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the U.S. Soccer team had this to say about Japan beating the U.S.I have always wondered about this myself. Why is it that the gods seem overly concerned with trivial matters, but take a hands off approach to the big issues?We lost to a great team, we really did…I truly believe that something bigger was pulling for this team…Who/what/ it is the “something bigger?”
Was this a battle of national Gods?
I wonder how Japan views a God that takes interest in their team winning a soccer game but stands by while nuclear reactors melt and multitudes of people die or are injured from a tsunami? (also called an act of God)
In the realm of sports, gods -- particularly the Christian God -- seem to the biggest fans of all. I don't know how many times a member of the winning team will say that the team's win or the star player's big moment was directed from above. It was our destiny because of our belief in the almighty, you often hear someone say.
But when it comes to natural or human-caused disasters, these very same gods seem to be asleep on the job. To be sure, they often are lauded and praised for "saving" a stray person here and there, but a god that can deliver a sports win for a city, state or country can't seem to pull off the same kind of miracle to save the vast majority from pain and suffering in a city, county, region or state.
Does that mean that to a god sports are more important than life itself? It would seem so.
It starts with family (tribe?), then school spirit, then sports teams, political parties (and monotheistic religion)..all creating an us against a them that is exactly like us. Of course our God would be on "our side."
ReplyDeleteOrganized sport is as insidious as organized crime, organized religion, and the military. And politics.
I never thought of it in those terms before, but that's a very astute point.
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