How can I celebrate a national title for my favorite basketball team when the world is at war?  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are heavy things going on in the world.  It would be reasonable (and maybe even seem very spiritual) to give in to the notion that a believer in Christ in these difficult days should be only ever engaged in more important pursuits than cheering on a group of 20-something men throwing an orange ball through a metal hoop.

And yet I have spent a lot of time cheering.  I have watched more basketball this year than probably any year since high school.  I have been a fan of the University of Michigan and remember fondly their 1989 national title.

God created.  And then he created sub-creators.  He made us in His image and crafted us to craft out of the material world he crafted.  And we have made steel, Dollar Generals, cruise ships, ornate cathedrals, AirPods, plenty of books, espresso, huge cities, nuclear bombs, oak-aged bourbon, and basketball.  He has created us to explore, to subdue, to sub-create . . . And basketball fits into this creative paradigm.

Certainly, all good things can be turned into an idol.  And many good things can be turned to evil purposes.  The same game that I enjoy watching might be the game by which my neighbor loses his entire life savings in a foolish bet (against the Wolverines).  And there is always the risk of placing too much trust, too much hope, or even too much pride in our own sub-creation.

I am glad for sport.  I have been guilty of vacillating in the past several months between taking things too seriously in the world and even bordering on anxiousness about modern events.  I think I have even at times spoken out loud a desire to think less on sport and more on ‘things that matter’.  And yet humans matter, so therefore culture matters, art matters, sport matters, industry matters, and faith in Christ matters.

We are created creative creatures.  (Say that 10 times fast)!  I am celebrating a great victory for my chosen team.  And yet, I am also able to keep basketball in perspective.  It was a fun season.  It ended with a quite specific “hail to the victors”.

Balancing my love for sports and my love for God has become less tricky as I’ve gotten older.  I enjoy the creative diversions, but I know that they will not satisfy.  As soon as the season was over and the title was given, the top 25 polls came out for NEXT season!  I’ve been around enough to note that they are short-lived cycles.

This year I say, “Go Blue!” from a national champion kind of perspective.  Next year I will be saying go blue for a football season and another basketball season.  God looks down and I am confident he smiles when I can enjoy the creativity He has instilled in us as sub-creators.  He is a good Father who has given us so many good things.  And sport is a piece of that puzzle that, when put together, reflects a good creation under a good and loving God.

What role has sport played in your life?