At least I’ve had more time to read during this period of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, and one article I appreciated asked how we as a society will cope without our “religion of sport” for an extended period of time.
While the author was speaking somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the piece exposes a mentality that many in our society hold true. As a society we have bought into the mentality that we need to dedicate great parts of our lives to sports viewing.
Since we spend so much time immersed in these sports, they often become our first love, our best friend. Moreover, our favourite teams and athletes are being seen as superheroes from whom we often form our moral compass. This can become a big problem.
When we follow and support our hometown stars, we should admire their incredible God-given athleticism. We can gasp at their creativity and their ability to perform under pressure. Of course, we should learn from their hard work and determination both during and away from the game. What we must be careful about as Catholics, however, is assuming that because these individuals are superior athletically this somehow means they are also superior morally.
There’s not denying there are worthy examples on the playing field, but we must reserve always the job of moral direction to Our Lord Jesus Christ. We must become completely familiar with how Jesus lived and what he taught. Jesus directs us in how we should conduct ourselves every day.
Lebron James has become possibly the most prominent athlete in North America, if not around the world, while being known for having strong views on social issues. Recently, however, he attacked Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, who had made tweets supporting pro-democracy views in Hong Kong and criticizing China’s stand on the issue.
It was evident to most observers that James’ views were based on his desire that the National Basketball Association, along with him in its wake, not lose millions of dollars that flow out of China, where the NBA has a huge following. James was wrong and looked bad, but there are fans who support what he supports because that is where they find their moral direction. On this issue, what would Jesus’ views be?
American women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe has quite a following. In some cases, no doubt, people support her views on marriage and family because of who she is in the world of sports, even though these views are contrary to Church teaching. This is where these fans get their moral worldview. Again, what would Jesus’ views be?
It has become very common for top athletes to choose to live with their girlfriend or boyfriend before ever getting married. Other athletes are known for womanizing while they’re on road trips. Just because these stars are popular, should we embrace their choices?
In a world that often rejects what Jesus taught and God the Father commanded, we as people of faith have to be well-informed and then make good choices. We should admire those athletes who are courageous enough to try to live the Gospel message and to speak up for good values:
- Pro-life: Matt Birk and Benjamin Watson (football)
- Traditional marriage: Mike Sweeney (baseball), Bethany Hamilton (surfing), Kaka (soccer)
- Abstinence: Tim Tebow and Philip Rivers (football), Michael Redd and A.C. Green (basketball).
Athletes such as these are following what comes from the Voice of Truth, who is Jesus and who is our moral compass.
So try to separate an athlete’s performance from their views on social issues. If they happen to agree with your deeply held Gospel values, that’s wonderful, but if they miss the mark with their views, don’t let the lines get blurred and give in to untruths. Instead be strong and persistent in the truth. Let the stars inspire you to become a better athlete while letting Jesus inspire you to become a better person.
