By Brad Locke
December 12, 2003

(AgapePress) - Cue it up.

I have attempted, in my rather cumbersome verse, to draw an analogy between the increasing mindlessness that pervades the sports culture -- in the form of highlight sequences, vapid on-line poll questions, and the evaporation of fundamentals by even our professional athletes -- and the even more dangerous advent of a self-glorifying, emotion-driven, soda-pop Christian faith.

Most folks used to appreciate sports for not only its structure, beauty and intricacy, but for its satisfying rewards and even its transcendence of culture. Now all we care about are box scores (especially the fantasy leaguers among us) and contrived drama; the big hits, the big shots, the epic moments and stories.

This minor tragedy has little or no bearing on society's direction, though it is certainly a reflection of a greater tragedy -- that being our insatiable hunger for sound bites and quick resolutions (the latter as much a result of those vacuous sitcoms). Such an outlook is not confined to secular circles. It is common in Christianity, as well.

We seek quickie devotionals, more "efficient" prayers, less risky ways to help others. We want tidy sermons that teach a nice little lesson but require no further reflection or study. We want truth served up in palatable doses, certainly nothing that may offend our pre-programmed moral taste buds. We are the ADD generation.

We search for truths that will transform our lives, instead of truths that will transform us. In, say, baseball, it's much more fulfilling to not only study the game, but to play it (the right way) and share it with others, instead of just numbly watching a random game on TV and then swallowing Peter Gammons' analysis. Likewise, merely reading and hearing God's Word is not enough -- to truly appreciate, understand and really know His truth, one must study it with eagerness, then go out and passionately (and correctly) live what has been learned while sharing the knowledge with others.

Highlight reels may be emotionally thrilling, but unless you know their context, you will never comprehend their full meaning. Sports are best viewed with patient, piercing eyes. So is faith.