A THEOLOGY FOR SUPERBOWL DEVOTION

In the beginning, the elohim created skies and earth.

Welcome back.  

Last Thursday, Saturday Night Live's sports special was televised on NBC. Most of the bits, old and new, were quite funny.  One of the funnier skits carried a nice gospel message.

The scene opens with a closing screen shot of the Bears and Broncos final score.  We see that the Broncos have beaten the Bears 13 to 10.  

The scene cuts to the locker room where Bronco players, still in full pads and jerseys, are waiting for Tim Tebow, played by Taran Killam, to stop praying.  

Tebow pops up from his "Tebowing" pose and thanks the team for believing in him. He, then, thanks "the most important person in my life, Jesus Christ, because I could not do this without him."

          Jesus, played by Jason Sudeikis, suddenly steps out of a cloud and into the locker room.  

Tim Tebow says, "Jesus!  He has risen."

Jesus says, "Oh no, not really, just a quick visit.  Everybody take a seat; take a seat, chill out.  First of all, you're welcome.  Yes, indeed, I Jesus Christ, am indeed the reason you've won your past six football games."

Tim Tebow jumps out of his seat and nearly knocks Jesus down, shouting, "I knew it!"

Jesus says, "Whoa. Tim.  Easy Easy.  Hey, buddy, leave a little room for the Holy Ghost.  Okay?"

Jesus tells the team that he has been helping them, and there is no other explanation for their wins because of their poor playing.  He cites Tebow’s subpar stats in the first three quarters of the Bears game as proof that they needed a miracle to win the game.

There are three things going on in the bit. 

1.     Jesus tells Tebow to "take it down a notch."

2.  Jesus tells the Broncos that they have to play better because, "It's not a good week if every week I, the son of God, have to drop everything, come in, and bail out the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter.  I'm a busy guy."

3.  Jesus tells the Broncos and Tebow that they should not be thanking him for the win; they should be thanking Nate Prater for kicking a 59 yard field goal.  

There are so many things right about the skit and so many things wrong about the theology of celebration.

The skit is right in its message that people deserve credit for their expertise, skill, and hard work.  "God helps those who help themselves" makes more sense than "waiting on God" unless the latter is meant in a mystical sense of anticipation.

To a lot of people, it's silly when an athlete tells the world that Jesus or God won the game for them on the field.  Anyone who has played football knows that the corollary idea is also silly: that is, that they were on their own since their playing was not so God-worthy. 

Theologically, we are in God.  All being is in God so there is nothing or no where we can go where God is not there.  God is beyond being.  

Sports are our thing. Victors and losers struggle in God, but outcomes are determined naturally.  

That ball that sailed over Peyton Manning's head on the first play of the SuperBowl would have happened whether there were gods or not.

My funny bone tickles every time I see a player score a touchdown or nail a sack and then point up to the sky.  I often say, "Look, Honey, they're pointing up to that man fixing the Dome roof."

The sky?  Really?  Is that where God dwells?  What?  Is God Zeus or Yahweh, still?  

Better to pound your chest since, according to another metaphor, God dwells in our hearts.

Besides, there is a theology that says protection, talent, and fortune are built into the system.  It's called providence.  We don't need angels or demons or any other intermediaries to invisibly guide footballs or deflect them in life.  All we need to do is live and choose...wisely...for God is with us...as we are in God.

Blessings...