Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Who would Jesus pull for in the Iron Bowl?

It's Auburn vs. Alabama, and naturally everyone has to pick a side.  So, which side would Jesus pick?  Is it such a ludicrous question to ask? 

How did you pick?  Well, both teams have traditions, songs, mascots, uniforms, etc. etc.  Univ. of Alabama has a bar, restaurant, four or five apartment complexes, and another bar with "Traditions" in the title.  Auburn fans think God has to be an Auburn fan because the sky becomes orange and blue at sunset. 

Maybe you were raised in your family to follow one side and loathe the other, as many generations before you had done.  Maybe you just liked the colors and went from there.  Maybe it was a particular creed or value represented by that university that spoke to you.  Maybe your significant other was going there and forced your hand.

Through some cruel (but wonderful, dear) twist of fate, my marriage is one of those "mixed" ones - I am Auburn and Keller is Alabama.  My parents before me were the same way.  So I feel like I've seen both sides of the fence.  What a tall fence it is, by the way.

Regardless of how you picked your school, it's obvious that both schools have their differences.  But they're both still universities.  They're both for education.  The intent is to enroll & leave with experiences and learning that prepare you to go out into the world and do whatever you want to do with it. 

Do you think that churches within Christianity can be viewed the same? 

What I mean is, when you pick a church, each church has it's own traditions, dress, attitudes, approaches, etc.  Even within denominations.  But again, despite the differences, the intent is to be educated and go out into the world. 

Sometimes I think we get too wrapped up with our differences that we neglect to see what really matters.  In the case of the Iron Bowl, do you watch because you hate the other team and want them to be humiliated (guilty in the past) or to watch a great game between storied rivals with respect?

At first I wanted to say Jesus would root for neither.  But I think he would root for both.  Kind of like if you're a parent with kids playing each other.  You want them both to try.  Someone's going to win and someone will lose.  Just don't throw in any cheap shots.

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