On Friday night, my friends and I will
be huddled around our televisions along with millions upon millions
around the world to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the London
Olympic Games. Most will have their eyes on Phelps and Lochte, maybe
they'll try and catch a glimpse of Usain Bolt, or they may simply
stare off into the distance pondering the all important question of
whether David Beckham will or will not light the torch. But my eyes
will be locked on the single athlete representing one of the world's
smallest sovereign states: Tommaso Guarrazzi of Vatican City. That's
right boys and girls, God finally has a home team.
For years, God, much like an NBA fan in
Missouri, has been without a team to call his own. Many have tried to
claim the deity's favor from The Los Angeles Angels (too redundant)
to the New Orleans Saints (not saintly enough) to the Holy Cross
Crusaders (ixnay on the usadescray), but none have worthy of being
the Almighty's favorite.
Instead God has chosen to root for his
favorite players from Josh Hamilton to Tim Tebow to every single
player who ever pointed up to the sky after they did something
special. But now God's behind Tommaso Guarrazzi and Team Vatican
City. Take notice world!
Now all this may sound totally
ridiculous and that's because it is. Tommaso Guarrazi is a member of
the Vatican Olympic Team, but it's a fictional Olympic Team portrayed
in the recently released Italian movie 100 Meters to Paradise. (You
can read the Vatican newspapers review here).
But is it so ridiculous to think that
God is sports fan? I'm not saying he has a vested interest in one
team winning over another, and I'm pretty sure he had less to do with
the Braves winning in extra innings than my prayers would indicate,
but I think there are aspects he can enjoy.
At their essence, sports, especially
the Olympics, are a showcase for the physicality of God's creation.
They show us the agility, speed, strength, stamina and athleticism of
humanity in its peak physical form and while that's something we
don't often hold to be spiritual maybe it should be. We are so quick to
spiritualize the world that we forget we inhabit a physical existence
and sports are a way to celebrate the depth of humanities physical
gifts.
So when you watch the Olympics in the
next few weeks maybe God will be watching along with you. I wonder if
he's rooting for Lochte or Phelps?
Peace,
Ben
When he isn't writing about fictional Vatican Olympians, Ben attempts to divine God's rooting interests for gambling purposes. You can follow his misadventures on Twitter @BenHoward87.
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