First, we have this gem:
I'm worried about the fate of that poor kid who is trying to tackle Jesus. I'm sure hell is full of youngsters who did far less than tackle the Son of God. But that's not all. Check this one out:
Jesus is quite a bit older than those two kids, and probably should share a bit more because he is so tall. I would want Jesus on my team. It seems he can really handle the ball. But also it seems that Jesus only plays hoops with the white kids in suburbia.
The bigger problem is the relationship between Christianity and sports in this country. Remember when Reggie White, an ordained minister, great football player, but no so brilliant, said in reference to white people: "You guys do a good job of building businesses and things of that nature, and you know how to tap into money." Maybe that is the problem, and the source of the Jesus sports statues. But I'm white, and I never dreamed of tapping into money by selling Jesus sports statues for $19.99. I guess with all of my debt and bills, I need to reexamine my white heritage. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not white, which explains my debt.
I do wish that I could watch a football game without all these atheletes bringing God and Jesus into the equation. Quit praying after touchdowns and quit pointing up towards heaven. God does not care who wins football games. If so, then start blaming God for all the dropped passes, and all the losses. You never hear someone who just broke a leg blame Jesus for the injury.
Christianity and sports were not always an unhealthy mix. From what I've read about the founding of the YMCA in the mid 19th century, it was done with noble intentions, to improve the lives of people in some pretty rough social conditions. Maybe it was hypocritical and a farce, but I miss the days when atheletes were presented as moral role models. I think we need more idols who are not selfish, and who act to improve the worlds in which we are living.
I think Terrell Owens' TV commercial on Monday Night Football cotributed a lot to society!
ReplyDeleteMichael, I enjoyed your post so much I added your "discovery" to one of my own postings here at http://tbirdofparadise.blogspot.com/2005/06/nude-justice-statue-scored-touchdown.html
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I think you misunderstood the statues.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the child with his arms around Jesus in the first statue is tackling him and even if he was, Jesus would give him a second chance, and a third, and a fourth and so on...because Jesus has mercy! He is a God of second chances!!!!!!!
In the second statue, did you even consider that Jesus could be HELPING the little boy in the green who is not tall enough to catch that toss?! Jesus wouldn't hog the ball! It is inconsistent with his character!
Hey, I'm glad you would want Jesus on our team...notice I said OUR team, because I am on His team!
Jesus Christ loves everyone. He cares about us SO MUCH. His thoughts about EACH ONE OF US are INNUMERABLE!!! "They outnumber the grains of sand" He knows how many hairs are on your head, he knows your every thought, he even knows every single little thing you are going to do even before you do it. He knows what time you'll go to bed on June 11th, 2009, and he knows the last time you brushed your teeth. He planned out every second of your life before your great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents were even heard of!
Think of how fantastic and complicated nature is. God (AKA Jesus' "Father") made the whole Earth in only six days! He loves it so much-(-I KNOW he does because if he didn't, he wouldn't bother feeding the birds or making the grass grow.) Now...if he loves the Earth THAT MUCH, just imagine how much he loves you! He spent NINE MONTHS weaving you together bit by bit in your mother's womb. He intricately designed a unique you. He made you, with love and his almighty power. He wouldn't spend NINE MONTHS creating each person if he didn't love them as much as he does!!!!!!!! (So I'm positive that Jesus would love to play basketball with any one of us, not just the white kids in suburbia-*-REMEMBER, it is just a MAN MADE statue designed by an average person!!!*) Because Jesus Christ cares about us so much, he obviously cares about what we do. He doesn't care whether we win or lose a football game, but he cares how we feel about it!!!!!!!
Sure he knew everything about how, when and where "Joe Blow" was gonna break a leg during that football game. Then why?--you ask--didn't he prevent it??? **Because God takes BAD things, accidents, etc. and uses them for GOOD, and for his glory (which he deserves--do you agree??)**
For an example of the previous statement I made, I look to Joseph in the Bible (God's Love Letter to us). Joseph's brothers were envious of Joseph because their father seemed to favor Joseph over the rest of them. So, they sold Joseph. He was accused and convicted and punished for a crime even though he was innocent. God used this bad situation for good. You see, God gave Joseph a gift of interpreting dreams. Actually, it was God interpreting the dreams (Joseph couldn't actually decipher the dreams by himself, being a human!)!!! While Joseph was in jail, he interpreted a baker's dream. Once the baker was out of jail he remembered Joseph. A leader of the town had a dream that he really wanted to know what it meant. It was then that the baker mentioned Joseph. Joseph interpreted the leader's dream and saved the city, and his family, from a horrible famine. God took the bad situation (Joseph's brothers selling him, and Joseph being put in jail) and used this situation to save his beloved people (Joseph making a plan for saving food for the famine, and predicting the famine 7 years ahead of time!)!!!!!
My point(s) is/are God made every single person special and he loves them very much. God has mercy. God takes bad things and uses them for good. And God really does love you and wants you to accept Him and believe in Him so he can make you a new, happier person. All you have to do is "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. Acts 16:31a" "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9".
I love you, and so does God. May God bless you and may you open your heart to Him.
Britney, age 13
Britney, forgive me for being so cynical in my earlier post. I don't think these statues have anything to do with God, but I agree with you that "it is just a man made stuatue designed by an average person." It has also been my experience that bad things do happen to good people. I prefer the author of Job's explanation of theodicy, that humans will never know why that is.
ReplyDeletethis is SO funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletejesus playing bball!!!!!
yus shoot some hoops bro