A Christian perspective on sport

Here's my magazine article for August:

Photo by Einar Hansen from FreeImages

When it comes to board games, I can be quite competitive and if I'm honest, I'm not a very good loser. However, I've never got to the stage where I throw the board in a fit of rage, unlike an unnamed member of the Royal Family which is apparently why the Queen has banned Monopoly! As we enjoy another summer of sport, it is perhaps worthwhile reflecting on the themes of winning and losing, on success and failure.

It might be assumed that Christianity, if it has anything to say about sport at all, would be against the idea of competitive sport. After all, doesn't loving our neighbour mean that we want them to win and turning the other cheek mean that if they beat us at something, we should let them beat us again? Happily that's not the case, but it does help us to see how we can approach competitive sport in a Christian way.

Firstly, loving our neighbour means that cheating is not acceptable. There are many times in the Old Testament where God commands fairness in business and justice (like Leviticus 19:15 and 35), which could equally apply to sport. Paul says that “anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5). Secondly, turning the other cheek means that if we do lose we should do so graciously and not be filled with anger and a desire for revenge.

It is this second one that is sometimes very hard! The more the competition means, the more painful it is to lose. The answer is not to give up caring about winning and losing (e.g. by saying that it's only the taking part that counts) nor to dispense with the idea of winning at all (e.g. the 'non-competitive' sports days). Rather the answer is to put sport into the correct perspective.

The Latin root of the word 'competition' means 'to strive together' – by having something to strain for (i.e. victory) all competitors push each other on to improve. So in this sense it is the taking part that counts, because both winning and losing are learning opportunities, and losing is probably more instructive and character-building. This image may also lie behind the exhortation to “consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24) - church is a competitive activity!!

But sport, along with all human activity, needs to be put in its proper place: Paul reminds us that athletes “do it to get a crown that will not last, but we [follow Jesus even when it is difficult] to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25). As great as human success can be “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36). Failure in sport, in career or in exams can be traumatic but failure to respond to Jesus' invitation to repent and trust in him has eternal consequences.