Is March Madness Mad?

I read this article on Relevant Magazine today about March Madness college basketball. I was going to comment on it there, but couldn't be concise enough!

I applaud Brett McCracken's desire to see the divine in the mundane. We need to do that more, because I think we do miss out on a lot of that's REALLY going on, because we don't have eyes to see it...

However, some yellow flags were raised in me as I read this, simply because sports, like anything else that has the potential for subconscious addiction (i.e. Facebook, etc.) can be consuming. Even though it's difficult, we need to pay attention to those areas that we have a hard time imagining giving up.

And before I launch into a judgmental tirade about how people idolize sports, I want to check myself. I want to make sure I'm not trying to remove the speck of dust from someone else's eye, oblivious to the plank of wood in my own eye. My goal is not to condemn anyone. I have learned and am continually learning that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are not called, asked or chosen to be the Holy Spirit for someone else. I am not your conscience, and I don't want to presume to be. So there are a lot of things in this post that I'm not saying. I'm not saying it is sinful to watch sports, or to enjoy sports, or loving to watch sports. I'm not saying someone who loves to watch sports is less spiritual or holy. And, to the point Brett made on the Relevant site, it is good for us as Christians to reclaim the mundane and look for God in all the areas of our lives, from natural beauty to art and yes, even to sports.

Now, I know it's not popular to question what the majority of the culture is doing. ESPECIALLY not as a Christian—that'll get you pegged as "judgmental". None of us want that, though it is inevitable to make judgments on what we see around us. (How we respond to those judgments we make is another issue entirely.) Despite that, I think Christians in America should carefully "examine themselves" and how they spend their time. Not to heap guilt on ourselves, not to live identical lives as the other Christians around us, but to actively engage our minds and hearts to make sure ALL of our lives are in step with how God is leading us.

One thing that stands out is to find balance with this critique of how and why we love sports and what should a Christian's appropriate relationship to it be. I don't want to simply condemn watching sports (or playing them) in some blanket, black-and-white statement, because that could misrepresent the truth of the gospel and what it means to be a Christian.

Is it possible, though, that sports can be an idol in our lives? It's clear that Americans in general love sports and spend a lot of time and money on them. Why is that? Why do so many of us so instinctively love to watch sports? It controls our lives, to some degree. Heaven forbid church goes over and we miss the kickoff of the big game, right? Especially during football season, March Madness, Stanley cup playoffs, the Olympics... we become temporary slaves to the t.v. Is our first response defensive? Hey, there's nothing wrong with watching the Olympics. Anytime someone points out something about the way we live, rebuking or cautioning us, do we listen? Their critique might be completely wrong or misguided, but do we listen? Do we respect the person enough to hear what they are saying and really pray about our actions and see if we're living with a clear conscience? I hope so. I hope I do that. I don't want to lock down on the way I like to live my life and make it impervious to outside critique or examination. If I am truly walking with God with a clear conscience, then I have nothing to fear. So all that is to say, if you love watching sports, please don't feel like I'm condemning you, but do feel like I'm encouraging you to even question and be honest with yourself about these things.

There is nothing sinful about watching sports in and of itself. I think where it can become unhealthy is the amount of time that gets spent on it. There might be other considerations, like the negative emotions that we might vicariously experience when "our" team loses an important game. But I think what makes me sad or makes me question this in general is how much time and energy Christians seem to spend on watching college basketball and playing fantasy football, etc.

Do we spend the same energy on things that make us more like Christ? Are we that enthusiastic about anything relating to church, faith or Jesus Christ, or just sports? Is it okay that our faith and relationship with God doesn't really move us that often, compared to how worked up we can get over a game? I'm legitimately asking—it might be apples to oranges. It might not be a healthy expectation to think they should be similar. But maybe it is. I want to be willing to ask those questions. And are we as disciplined with spending time with God regularly, however that works best for us, as we are with following the draft or following our fantasy football team?

I hope these aren't harsh questions. That's not my intention. I think, since I'm not a huge sports fan (aside from following the Boston Red Sox and enjoying watching football on Sundays whenever it's convenient), being on the "outside" makes me notice things that those who are die-hard fans probably take for granted or simply don't pay attention to.

All I'm saying is if Christians in America were as excited and passionate about following Jesus Christ and loving those around them as ardently as they love watching and participating in sports, I think we would have an entirely different reputation and I think the gospel would seem a lot more like life-giving good news, rather than life-draining morality. I mean, even in commenting on this, it makes me feel like I'm intentionally squelching something that people give a lot of their time to. If we have nothing life-giving to offer people in place of the things that typically fuel their lives, then yes, Christianity will sound like a hollow, boring religion. But in place of our addictions, whether to sports, climbing the corporate ladder, being liked or just feeling safe and comfortable providing for our family at the expense of relying on God more often, what if we really experienced the Life Jesus claimed to offer us? What if we had more joy, peace and patience in our lives? What if we had hope and optimism that supernaturally flowed in and through the good and bad experiences in our lives? What if we were people of courage and gentleness, rather than fear and defensiveness?

In the moments when Christians are so caught up in sports, it gets hard to see Jesus sometimes. Maybe for some people it isn't that way, and I genuinely hope so. Again, I don't want to say sports are sinful. I simply wonder at what my life would look like, and what the lives of the Christians around me would look like if our passion for Jesus Christ was as great as, or greater than, our passion for sports. I think that would change some things in this country.

Which would you rather attend—a 3-hour church service in a cathedral or a 3-hour football game in a stadium? I think most Christians in America would pick the football game. Maybe that's okay. Maybe they are different events that should elicit different emotions and it's unfair to compare the two. I still think the question is worth asking... And I still wonder what it would look like for Christians to be as passionate about faith as some are about sports...

*** UPDATED ***

I apologize for the back-handed condemning tone of this post...

All The Way From Michigan Not Mars

I just watched Rosie Thomas' All the Way From Michigan Not Mars DVD last night. It was pretty amazing, amusing and inspiring. I actually laughed out loud, literally. That was probably the only time I could've typed "LOL" and not been exaggerating. It made me want to go see her play, but she's only on the west coast currently. The movie, which was a mixture of documentary and live shows, did a great job of capturing Rosie Thomas' personality, which is wildly enigmatic to me. In person, in interviews, she is chatty, almost as if she has ADD. She's very bubbly and cheerful, in an artsy way. Once she starts singing, however, it's like time slows to a crawl, the audience falls silent and something beautiful happens. It's like a 180. Several times in the movie, she was on stage with Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer, joking around and laughing pretty hard, only to go into the next song and have the audience, and me for that matter, on the edge of their seats and a million miles away, feeling so deeply something that refused to be named or identified. I'm not sure if it's empathy, nostalgia or longing. Something in Rosie Thomas' music is pulling. It sucks you in and rolls you around and around and around, in the most mellow way you could imagine. And then, when the song was over, it was like coming up for air. And she makes that air very vulnerable, yet easy, and free from any pretension. It's like her music and personality strips away all the pretense, all the show, everything that tries to present itself in a better light, and leaves room for us to be ourselves and not feel alone or awkward.

I kept saying to myself as I watched... "I want to make music like this."

(I highly recommend getting the DVD. It comes with a vinyl, too.)

A Waste of Perfectly Good Emotion

I was reading David Dark's book, "The Sacredness of Questioning Everything", last night and came across a section that grabbed my attention and wouldn't let me keep reading. I had to put the book down and just ponder what I had read as I fell asleep.

He was quoting something he had read or heard, someone's response after watching a particular movie, that perhaps had Tom Hanks or someone in it. When asked about it, the man responded favorably, that he had liked the movie well enough. But after seeing the man's hesitation or that he clearly had more going on under the surface, he was asked what else was on his mind. He responded, "Seemed like a waste of perfectly good emotion."

That struck me. As Dark went on to discuss the evils of our TV-infatuated society, I started drifting off on a rabbit trail of my own. I started thinking about the emotions I experience when I watch movies or certain shows and started considering that quote...

"A waste of perfectly good emotion."

The inspiration of Biggest Loser, the excitement of Monday Night Football, the persevering love in The Notebook, the warmth of family and love of Love Actually, the justice and compassion in Extreme Home Makeover... so many random emotions. And I started wondering, are these wasted emotions? These shows and movies are not bad in and of themselves. Not at all. They can be beautiful glimpses into what makes us human and what makes life beautiful. But, for instance, even before reading Dark's latest book, I couldn't stand Extreme Home Makeover because I felt manipulated. They got my eyes to tear up and I didn't even know them. I think I resented being taken advantage of emotionally. Part of why that show is so emotional is because it speaks to something deeply human in us. I'm not questioning that at all. What I am questioning is what good is that? What good does it do for me to get a little teary-eyed at the end of a show in the comfort of my living room? I simply change the channel, or shut the TV off and go about whatever is next in my day. Then, it really does feel like a waste of emotion...

Instead of sitting on the couch for an hour, getting a little misty-eyed with compassion for a family that is struggling and gets help, what if I took the time to get to know my real neighbors and found out what their needs were? What if I spent that hour, which would have been spent sitting on my couch watching people I'll never meet or help, helping a real neighbor of mine? What if my tears were because I really helped a friend who was discouraged, or helped a neighbor fix their fence or shovel their driveway? Would I be moved to tears then?

Yes. I would. It's happened. Not to the point of sobbing like a baby. But after a silly situation where I went 5 minutes out of my way to help one of my physical neighbors, I was flooded by an over-whelming sense of emotion. I'm not even sure what it was. Compassion? Gratitude? Or just a deep realization and sensation that we are broken people and something transcendent takes place when we choose to love each other?

Disclaimer: The situation above does not happen regularly. In fact, truth be told, I drove past my neighbor and had to battle my own selfishness until I finally turned around and went back to help. I definitely don't want to paint myself as a saint.

Thinking back on the emotions that came with helping someone, with no thought of getting something in return, I am puzzled why I don't seek out more opportunities to help my neighbors more. There was something freely and alive in me during, but especially afterward, as I drove on my way. I felt changed. And I think that was because those emotions weren't wasted. I interacted with a real human. His needs were met and my heart was expanded.

I don't think we need to throw out our TVs and start picketing outside Comcast's offices. But maybe I need to be more intentional with how I spend my time, to balance my movie-watching with participating in the real-life stories of the people around me.

Think of the millions of people who probably watch Extreme Home Makeover. Think of their combined salaries and time. Think of the neighborhoods that those millions of people inhabit. Think of the neighbors, in adjacent houses who are hurting and could use some help and compassion. And think of how many hours we just sit on our couches, tearing-up that some random family somewhere in the country got a really big house when they were down-and-out, oblivious to the people around us who may even be watching the same show, wishing someone would help them like that...

I hope that's not manipulative or guilt-inducing. That's not my intention. I'm simply wrestling with my own self-centered life and wondering about the ways that I could love my real neighbors more, and in doing so, experience deep emotions that aren't wasted.

Yes, I Love Technology, Always and Forever

A long time ago, I wrote this song lyric:

"Little plastic boxes pressed to our heads
Sending through space all the things that we've said
Now we may never lose touch,
But we forget how to feel
Deceiving ourselves that that contact is real
Technology is winning..."

Now, admittedly, technology is also doing a lot of good, so just railing against technology as a blanket statement is not fair. It is amazing to think about how quickly technology has advanced, even over the past ten years, and what is has done to our communication landscape. Letters have become emails, discussions at the coffee shop have become online message boards, chat rooms (does anyone use them anymore?) have become comments back and forth on Facebook and casual interactions with the people you see daily have expanded exponentially to all the people you know or have ever known, through text messages, Facebook status updates and Tweets. Now we just post things about ourselves and hope people notice us by commenting on them. It seems like the whole cultural landscape has become so narcissistic. I confess, I'm tempted these days to delete my Facebook account, and at least retreat technologically back to communicating through email.

Is this technology creep we see in our communication a good thing? Text messages are definitely convenient, but is the convenience worth the way it cheapens conversation and relationships to a simple exchange of information or answer to a question? I completely admit how quick and easy a text message is and all the instances where it seems to be a benefit. But I can also think of the countless times where it is easier to text someone and get a short response, rather than engaging them and having a conversation.

I think why this has been on my mind lately is that time is so fleeting and hard to find. We are so busy with life and are living at such a high speed that we need our communications to keep up. We are so busy with work and tasks, that we are squeezing people in and around the things we have to do. I don't think this is a good trend. The car has become when most of my phone calls and text messages happen. Which means, for the bulk of my communications, I'm sitting by myself, rather than with the person I'm communicating with... so I lose tone of voice, body language, etc.

What can we do to slow things down? I know some people that don't get text messages on their phones... And there are still the few hold-outs that don't have Facebook...

Maybe we should go back to letter-writing?

Christian or Secular?

I had someone ask me today, if the music I write is Christian or secular... and I was dumbfounded for a split second. It caught me off guard and I didn't know how to answer. I don't mean this to sound condescending at all, but it has just been so long since I've interacted with anyone who operates in those categories in relation to music that I probably looked at her like she had two heads at first. My response was a question, hoping to clarify what she meant, "What do you mean? If I'm a Christian, does that mean the music I write is Christian?" I think she wasn't expecting a question in response, because it took her a second to answer and she definitely seemed like she hadn't been asked to expand on what she meant before that. As I somewhat anticipated, she went on to distinguish between songs about God and living life for Him, versus songs relating to relationships and love, etc.

I hope I am bringing those two worlds together under the same roof. I don't want to operate in a secular mode and then a Christian mode. I want to find God's presence in all of it, without losing my ability to relate with the physical and emotional realities around me. I'm not sure about how to gently prod and push those who still operate in this mindset. There are probably some benefits, some glimpses of good intentions behind it. On the whole, I think it is a harmful and divisive way of viewing the world and I have a hard time accepting that it's a biblical view. Music is a gift. For me, it's a medium for expressing my thoughts and emotions. I have no agenda. I hope it is consistent with who I am and who I understand God to be. But is this post Christian or secular? Is my job Christian or secular? Is the last conversation I had with you Christian or secular? If we are truly following Christ and experiencing God in our daily lives, then everything we do should have the scent of heaven in it. There should be an intentional union between the mundane and the holy in our lives. I have not arrived at this, by any stretch. But after this morning, I'm reminded that I want my life to be this way. I want my ordinary daily interactions and actions to be honest and unpretentious, but at the same time, soaked in or haunted by God's reality and presence. Especially for the Christ-follower/believer, God is always with us, so nothing should be considered "secular" and everything should be "Christian" which would make the label unnecessary. It would be like asking if my music is human music...

Why John Piper Doesn't Watch TV and Rarely Goes to Movies

"I have a high tolerance for violence, high tolerance for bad language, and zero tolerance for nudity. There is a reason for these differences. The violence is make-believe. They don’t really mean those bad words. But that lady is really naked, and I am really watching. And somewhere she has a brokenhearted father."

This quote is from the most recent email mailing from Desiring God, in which John Piper responded to a question of why he doesn't watch t.v. and rarely watches movies. His answer was much longer, and included other reasons. But this quote leapt off the page at me. It is the direction my heart has been going lately. I am finding more and more aversion to watching any nudity or sexual content in movies. (I don't watch TV on a regular basis, except for The Office or on DVD, like Arrested Development, LOST or Heroes). Violence doesn't bother me, because like Piper said, it isn't real and it doesn't make me want to go crash a car into a helicopter or stab someone with a katana. "Language" doesn't bother me either, because it's all around us. It is just words. Someone can say the "f-word" as an adjective about how unbelievably cool something is (or they could have just said how unbelievably cool it was...) and it doesn't bother me, but if someone calls someone else fat or ugly... THAT bothers me. It is all about the intention behind what is spoken. The word might hold vulgar connotations, and I can understand that, but on the whole, language is just words, and I'm not tempted to say something derogatory about someone else when I hear bad language.

But Piper's quote is money. Nudity and sex affect men in ways that those other things don't. I like how straight-forward Piper is about it: "But that lady is really naked, and I am really watching." It is sad that our culture is so blinded to the power of sex and the beauty of women. I think it is good for us, as Christians, to really consider what we watch and evaluate its benefit to us spiritually. I have found over the course of the past couple of years especially, that it is easier to walk with a clear conscience if I avoid putting that kind of stuff in front of my eyes.

Christianity in a Post-christian Culture

I've been realizing lately, through several conversations and things I've read, that America is increasingly post-christian, that is, biblically illiterate. Those generations of previous decades grew up in churches, whether they were actively "following Jesus" or not, the cultural landscape was one of church-going, modest families. It helped prolong our idea that this is a "christian nation". But more and more, I'm learning that my generation or, probably more accurately, the generation following me, isn't growing up with any kind of church-background. They aren't being forced to experience Sunday school and flannel graphs and choirs and communion. They don't know the stories of Gideon and his army, or Moses and the burning bush, or the wee little man Zacchaeus who climbed the Sycamore tree to see Jesus.

I've gotten really used to trying to deconstruct peoples' negative impression of Jesus that they learned from imperfect churches... But I'm starting to wonder what it looks like to tell people about Jesus that have few, if any, misconceptions about him. "Evangelism" as it has been practiced over the past few decades has become out-dated and rarely effective (except in the rare instances when God moves through them despite them), precisely because calling someone to "make a decision for Christ" used to mean more to a culture that knew the Bible stories and the Gospel of Jesus through their church-going sensibilities. They had the knowledge to inform a decision that will shatter your future in ways you can never fathom beforehand. Eddie Gibbs, of Fuller Theological Seminary, said he hopes those who have a 10-minute conversation with someone about Christ and then urges them to make a decision for Christ there on the spot don't approach their dating lives in the same way! Christianity, following Jesus Christ, is a life-long, world-shattering commitment that CAN'T be truly entered into lightly, without counting the cost first, etc.

Understanding that our culture now lacks the biblical background to allow people to count the cost of following Christ before urging them to make that decision is going to be a large factor that we have to wrestle with if we want to effectively communicate the good news of Jesus Christ. I'm not sure what that looks like yet. The message is the same, for sure, but the method of communicating it is constantly shifting. Our culture has shifted and is shifting further towards post-christian. How should we respond?

What are your thoughts? Does that make sense?