Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Jan. 19, 2012

“Steroid-Laced Society”,br /> “Dear friend…Clear Thinking and Common Sense…will keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive" – Proverbs 3:22 (The Message)

In a couple of weeks, what has become the biggest yearly event on the calendar will be here! It is the biggest Sunday of the year and millions of people are preparing for this one single event—so much so that retailers are calling it one of their “main events.” For those of you who think that I am talking about Easter, sadly, I am not. I am talking about Super Bowl Sunday!! It has become the single biggest and most extravagant sports event of the year. Not only will millions be “locked-in” sitting in front of their television sets, but thousands of churches will alter their schedule to accommodate their congregations. That is how big it has become!,br /> Also in a couple of weeks, the “pop of the bat,” and the sound of the baseball hitting the glove will be heard as Spring Training begins. The smell of hot dogs will soon be in the air and where the two words, “Play Ball!” are the mantra for two hours of nothing but pure Americana at its finest.
We have such a love-affair with sports in this Country and so much of our lives become wrapped up in what is happening on the football field…the basketball court or the baseball diamond. And we sit in the stadiums or in front of our television sets and marvel at these individual’s abilities. Or we used to! In recent years the steroids issue (or performance enhancing drugs) has redefined how we view a player’s performance on the field. Instead of being dazzled or amazed at the talent level many of these players display we are beginning to view their achievements with cynicism and doubt. Did Barry Bonds legitimately break Hank Aaron’s Home-Run record? Should Mark McGwire, “Big Mac” be in the Hall of Fame? As a St. Louis Cardinal’s fan I listened during every game that season as he and Sammy Sosa (another who disappointed his fans with allegations of steroid misuse) were vying to be the first to break the single-season home run record—only to have that record broken by the afore-mentioned Bonds. Football is no longer exempt from this as a number of professional player have been suspended after testing positive for some form of steroid. In this entire scenario—professional sports has become a true reflection of what we have become—not only as Americans but also as human beings! As a society we have come to the point where we treat entertainment as religion (Superbowl Sunday is a great example), the entertainers as gods and in many churches, we have reduced Christianity as nothing but entertainment.
Half a century ago, Christianity was strong and the Church was flourishing. People viewed Hollywood and professional sports for what they were and are, entertainment. Today, unfortunately, many treat Christianity and Christian leaders with cynicism while allowing Hollywood and most of the modern media to define, even dictate public policy. To some extent—there have been some of our Christian leaders who have created this problem. Their “steroid” was/is power and used their power to deceive the innocent and enhance their bank accounts.,br /> What is even worse is that we are getting precariously close to passing the “Point of No Return.” “Clear-Thinking” and “Common Sense” have been imprisoned and there are too many barring the gates to help set them free so that we can get back to living a far less complicated existence. Wouldn’t it be great to get back to a point where sports venues are good entertainment and the Church is great truth?
It begins with us! We set the standard. We must not allow the society to tell us what is important. We must stay focused and fixed upon the Word. Instead of Churches altering their schedules to accommodate a game, what if the game had to accommodate the Church? Just a thought!
Pastor J. T. Carnell