Sports and Spirituality: Competition Between Churches & Christians
previously published in June 2008
Churches throughout the country, especially in the Korean Seventh-day Adventist community, emphasize the importance of church unity and attempt to create a healthy union between all local and surrounding churches. Some believe that competitive sports is the answer for churches to unite; however, the only thing that competitive sports creates is a large paradox.
What I remember particularly about Thanksgiving during my elementary and junior high years is not the food or the traditions, but the Chicago Youth Rally and the basketball tournament that would follow in the evening. This event was a 3-on-3-basketball tournament that would include high school, college and young adult Korean Adventists competing against each other. When I look back at my memories from those evenings, I don’t recall any prayer or healthy fellowship; all I remember are intense games that would include some extra physical activity.
The genuine intent of the tournament is understandable, but when you get separation of churches, people arguing and participants only coming to the tournament instead of the youth rally, problems are raised. They say sporting activities bring people together and it is healthy. But when individuals are separated from each other by teams and tension evolves through churches, healthy is not the appropriate word.
My issue with mixing sports and church is not with the overall idea of sports and involving it with the church, but with what happens to people when they play sports. It creates an unchristian-like atmosphere. Before, I always thought sports was positive for churches just because the general population of youth members play sports and it’s an active and fun way to bring the youth together. And that idea still remains today.
Our church occasionally plays football throughout the year and in our Mexico mission trip, we played soccer with the home church in Nuevo Laredo. Those games are fun, active and healthy because it brings us closer and ties our church bonds closer. Language barriers and generation gaps disappear and we’re all involved in the game.
But what I am extremely against are these church-sponsored tournaments like the Chicago Youth Rally Tournament. In my opinion, these tournaments do nothing to progress unity. When we host tournaments, we are not promoting individuals and youth members to meet other church members and create friendships; we are promoting competition and are rooting for our home team to beat the other teams. I mean, what kind of fan wishes for the other team to do well? There is no such fan, and that kind of spirit persists even in church tournaments. How are we praising God at these events when all the praising we do is for the star athlete who just hit the game winning shot?
These tournaments are most highly anticipated at the annual East Coast and West Coast Korean Campmeetings. This past year at the East Coast Korean Campmeeting, both the dodgeball and basketball tournaments were taken away from the schedule. Many were against the cancellation of these tournaments and some were turned away from Campmeeting just because of the nonexistence of the basketball event. I asked Justin Kim, the Senior Pastor of Battle Creek/Lansing Church and program director of C.A.M.P.U.S ministries for the Michigan Conference why he cancelled the tournaments as it was his decision to do so as he was and is the current coordinator for the high school department.
“I believe that there is nothing evil in the nature or essence of sports,” said Justin Kim. “But in a context where the primary function of a spiritual event [Campmeeting] is to encourage people in the faith, encourage them to be stronger Seventh-day Adventist Christians and deepen their relationship with Christ especially in the events of the last days, these tournaments do not advance or progress the overall purpose of Campmeeting.”
Justin continued to say, “As a church leader, I am held responsible by God to make sure my youth understands the Adventist gospel message, not win a basketball tournament.”
So what is my point? Why am I writing about a topic that bothers both conservatives and liberals, east coast and west coast members? It is because these competitions ruin the character of a Christian.
“Without a doubt, competition promotes other virtues such as excellence, determination and sportsmanship. But in the context of today, especially in the secular world and our sinful nature, it causes unnecessary aggression and ruins potential friendships,” said Justin Kim.
There are many unfortunate incidents at these sporting events, such as injuries, fights and lost friendships. We all know people who experienced these negative consequences. It also happened to me. Another side of me comes out when I play sports and I become an angry and aggressive person. This is where I feel farthest away from God. How come as Christians, we do not realize this? Maybe it’s the fact that we become so caught up when we play sports or attend sports games. But when we become a fan or an athlete, our Christian morals are slowly taken away. I speak on behalf of myself but I am sure many agree that an uglier side of us comes out with competitive sports.
Maybe sports in general are something we humans cannot handle. Physical activity is never wrong but in our world today and its sinful context, sports can brings out the sinfulness in us. I’m not going far enough to say that sports is sin, but we should as Adventists be careful of our competitive nature and it is when we bring it inside the church that we start to take the first misstep.
Mark 12:33 says, “To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
The Bible says to love our neighbors. The Bible also says to love our enemies. We then must also love our opponents. In these tournaments, in these current days and in this current sinful world, can we say that sports bring out the Christian love?