Let’s Play Football!

My squadmate Raquel has never been to a football game.

Before you get upset, I should tell you that she’s Venezuelan and has only lived in the States for about a year prior to leaving for the Race. 

I got the blessing of describing the experience of going to a college football game to her. Here’s how the conversation went:

Me: You get to the parking lot several hours before the game starts. You’ll set up your tent, tables, food, and chairs. There’s probably a TV nearby to watch other games going on around the country. Someone will also most likely bring a cornhole set or a football to throw around as well. You get to hang out with everyone and walk around campus and the town, buying all the orange apparel you could possibly want. About 2 hours before the game, everybody lines up to cheer on the players as they get off the bus to go into the stadium. You high five the mascot before going back to your tailgate and finish eating all the chicken strips and Buffalo dip you can (while still saving enough to refuel at halftime.) Then, as kickoff approaches, you grab your clear bag, make sure your ticket and cash for concessions is inside, and head up to the gate. And you’re in.

Raquel: HELLO??? I’m in?? In where?? I thought we were going to a football game! You haven’t told me anything about the game!

You’re probably agreeing with Raquel right about now. I’ve described the tailgate and pregame experience, but nothing of the game itself. What about the band, running down the hill, the cheers, the tackles, and celebrating every hard-earned point? What about the joy that comes with being surrounded by 81,000 family members, who are all encouraging, hoping, and praying for victory??

What if I told you that this was actually a parable for Christianity? While yes, Raquel actually has yet to experience a football game and I’ve spent a good amount of time explaining American culture to her, this story is actually about what happens to so many Christians nowadays.

You’ve heard about Jesus for a long time now. You’ve been around the church, probably even accepted Christ and been baptized. But if that’s as far as you’ve gotten in your Christian life, all you’ve done is gotten in the gate. Jesus wants you to be a part of the game though.

Life as a Christian can look many different ways. A few examples are the tailgaters, the fans, the players, the coach, and those watching at home.

Tailgating is like being around church culture for years. You’re in community, having fun, joining in with all the free food and games. But you haven’t paid the price to get into the game. You’re comfortable with no risks and living a life of doing what you please.

Once you actually buy your ticket and get into the stands, you’ve entered into a life with Christ. You’ve made the commitment and joined His family. You feel what the Body feels, celebrating the wins and mourning the losses. You’re cheering on and supporting your brothers and sisters, but still staying where it’s safe. In the stands, you get to feel like the family but don’t really have any skin in the game. Any ground gained or lost, any points won aren’t really because of anything you’ve done. You’re just there to be a spectator and a voice in the crowd.

Getting on the field requires risk. When you decide to join the game, you leave the comfort of the stands. You gear up, get dirty, and risk getting hurt. You’ve joined the battle. By getting in the game, you’ve signed up for early morning training, hours learning the tactics of the enemy and how to counterattack, and getting hit over and over. God will use the players to push back the lines of the enemy and be His first lines of defense. You’re in it together with God, hearing his pep talks and coaching, filling up with the Holy Spirit Gatorade. Every point earned has been at the expense of your blood, sweat, and tears and you get to celebrate the victories with those who fought alongside you.

A coach is the one who’s played the game for years. You’ve dedicated your life to this game and decided it’s time to train up the next generation. You know your team inside and out and what it takes to get the victory. You are not only there for the early morning practices, but you’re up late the night before preparing and planning. You know each player’s strengths and weaknesses and equip each one to be the best player they can. As the coach, you’ve reached a place in your relationship with God that you can now be an example of Him to others. You celebrate when they win, encourage them on when they lose, and help them heal from injuries. This game is no longer your own, because you’re bringing others in and teaching them how to play.

The final role in the game is those watching at home. You’re comfortable in your living room with your big screen TV. You can cheer on the players, but there’s no one around to celebrate with.  They can’t hear you yelling out what they should or shouldn’t do, and the win or loss has absolutely nothing to do with you. Or maybe you have the game turned on, but you’re busy doing chores around the house. You’re so caught up with your own life and worries that you barely have time to run in and check the score. You’re not experiencing life with the family, the thrill of scoring a point, or the pride of training others up to fight the battle. Those watching at home have heard of Jesus, maybe once or twice, but have never been brought into the life that He offers. Maybe you’ve never been invited to the game, but maybe you just haven’t made the commitment to get out and see what the excitement is all about. 

Where are you in the game? If you haven’t paid the price, it’s time to buy your ticket and make your way into the stands. If you’ve been a part of the crowd, maybe God is saying it’s time to take the risk and get involved with the game. If you’ve been playing this game for a while, is God asking you to become a coach and train others how to play? Or are you still sitting on your couch, watching the game from afar but never really checking it out for yourself?

There’s a real battle going on, a real enemy trying to push us back to being comfortable watching from the stands, if we even decide to make the sacrifice and come into the stadium. We need to gear up and get dirty, fighting for God’s kingdom and every inch of territory that Satan is trying to claim. It’s not enough to cheer on from a safe place, knowing that in the end the victory will be won. We’re called to take part in earning that victory now.