Can you imagine Paul and James forming football teams, and getting fired up to beat the crap out of each other every Friday night?

Or maybe the church in Ephesus’s baseball team talking smack about the Corinthian church’s bullpen?

It’s humorous thinking about, because it would never happen.

Yet, that’s what we do.

Growing up, I attended a private Christian school. We had sports teams and would play other Christian schools. I routinely witnessed and participated in such behaviors.

Sports was an arena to showcase your dominance. It was about winning. Beating the other team to a pulp.

Looking back, was my Christian school really wanting to be like Christ? Or did it exist to fulfill the same desires that our culture advocates for, with just a Christian spin to it?

Christian School Jesus

If Jesus came back today, would he advocate a Christ centered education?

Sending your kids to high end private schools, getting all your college prep in, jockeying for financial scholarships?

Having well rounded extracurricular activities to keep your kids busy after school?

Spending all months of the year working out to prep for next year’s sports season?

Jesus can work in any situation. I’m not doubting that.

But our “Christian” schools look just like our public schools.

Shouldn’t we look more radically different? Shouldn’t we have completely different goals?

Worldly Sports

Especially when it comes to sports, our “Christ centered” often education comes with a side of power, control and hatred.

Is that what we should be learning?

I loved to compete, I loved winning. But I wasn’t taught to love my opponents nor were my opponents taught to act that way towards me.

But weren’t they my brothers and sisters in Christ? Wasn’t I suppose to sacrifice for them? Love them?

Where was my cross in that?

Christ Centered Teams

Instead of sports teams, what if we had teams that went around and mowed elderly person’s yards?

Or went grocery shopping for the disabled?

Or spent an afternoon with people that were lonely?

Or went around asking people for prayers?

If you think about how Christians today don’t transform our culture, maybe it’s because we’re really taught to be part of it.

We’re taught our culture’s games and values, we’re good students, so we live that out.

Maybe we need to teach our kids differently? Maybe the sports field isn’t the best place for Christian youth?