The present’s day infatuations with top level sports has reached amazing proportions now. A lot of crowds have made a veritable cults of certain sports, like football, tennis, crickets and so on. Their stars are celebrated like new gods. Hysterical scenes follow when a particular idols scores a goal or wins a match.
Money plays an important part in the hero worship. Sporting idols are world famous, crossing the barriers of nations and cultures. Some commercial enterprises engage them for their publicity campaigns so as to help sell their products easily.
(1 john 5:21)
“Little children keep yourself from idols”
The phenomenon of modern society is that churches now are emptying while stadiums are filling. However, the worship of those sporting gods does not go very deep. Idols can be changed, that’s if the performance of one slackens. This also corresponds to man’s inability today. Eventually those idols disappear with their glory only to be quickly forgotten and replaced by others.
(1 Corinthians 10:14&15)
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge yourself from what I say.
What Jesus Christ offers is not a superficial or passing emotion, but deep, lasting peace. In contrast to the confidence that crowds place in famous athletes, usually far remote from them, the faith of believers motivates them to live close to their saviour and be like him. This is not an admiration that last for a day but firm faith with consequences of eternity.