With God on My Side

In his response remarks after winning at Wimbledon (July 9), Pete Sampras told the lady interviewer that his parents were on his side and also that God was on his side in this win. That remark about God shows that Pete had better stick to tennis and forget about doing theology. I could not help but wonder what his worthy opponent was thinking about that time. I mean it is one thing to give it your best when the one you are playing against is the best in the world, but when you play against him and God ... well, why not throw in the towel early and go to the beach?

Did Sampras really believe God was on his "side?" He may well have rethought that statement; he was clearly straining for things to say at that time. Yet I have heard many sports figures, and others, say much the same thing after a winning performance. Crossing oneself in the corner, kneeling in the end zone, pointing up after a tough shot, are all ways some people have of factoring God into their performance. I do not doubt that some, maybe many, of these people are sincere in their belief that God in some way factored into what had just happened. Come to think of it though, I have never heard someone lose and say God was in that as well. Maybe you have.

Thinking that God is on one side in particular can create a feeling of defeat before the even takes place. My nephew, Tom, was a member of a little league team that had not lost a game all season. Now they were in the championship game. Two little boys on the opposing team were overheard talking about their chances against Tom's team. "We can't win against them," one kid said. "Why not?", the other asked. "Because they pray [before each game]." "We can pray too." "But you have to think of it [first]," was the reply. I suppose the kid thought it was a case of first come, first served with God.

I do remember the young boxer some years ago who was reminded by his interviewer that the match he was preparing for was pivotal to his budding career. He seemed to stun the interviewer by saying that he knew the match was very important but "win or lose I praise the name of Jesus Christ." That's it! "Win or lose I praise the name of Jesus Christ."

Is God on our side? Yes, God is! But God is on everyone's side. It will come as something of a shock to some people to learn that God is not a Wildcats fan. Or if He is, no more so than a Hoosier fan. I do have my private doubts about God's concern for the Duke Blue Devils. A United Methodist school whose mascot is a blue devil? To some of my Baptist friends in Texas that would not come as a surprise at all.

For seven years I was on the faculty of a Christian college in southern California. Our basketball team was a winning team and we had many rivals among other Christian colleges. I remember how shocked I was when the Quakers came to our gym and chanted for their team to "kill" us. Not much Quaker theology going on about that time.

We humans are funny ... and a little arrogant too. We tend to think what we value is what others should value, what we think good others should think good. If we do not actually do it physically, we bow in our hearts and ask God for some advantage over someone else. This is why losing is so bitter to some, to think that God would actually allow this to happen!

Jerry Mercer