On Lent and Basketball

So, you guys already know about this. Not that it would have been a pretty sight, but I agonized over whether to watch Monday's game. Since I put so much thought into the decision, I decided to subject other people to my reasoning. Hence, this post.

A number of people tried to persuade me that the game "wasn't really TV," for various reasons: I could watch it on the Internet, I could listen to it on the radio, I could even see it in person if I were so inclined. Or I could tape it and watch it on Sunday (because you can break from whatever you're fasting on the sabbath). This made a certain amount of sense, and I considered it. I didn't want anyone to think I was being "legalistic," as though I thought I had to follow some rules -- "the letter of the law" -- in order to be holy or get God's approval. So I thought maybe I'd just exchange my sabbath days (forego my Sunday viewing for Monday's game, as long as I'm taking just one sabbath during the week), and that this might be a good opportunity to show that God looks more at the intentions of the heart than at strict observance of ritual just for its own sake.

Then I thought, people who don't understand this are going to think I was just looking for a convenient excuse. A cop-out. A loophole. And I didn't want that either, because I really do take my vows to God seriously.

So, like Jesus often did when confronted by the religious leaders of His day for failing to conform to sabbath regulations, I sought to honor the spirit of the Law. What is Lent all about? Why and how do we choose to observe it? I *voluntarily* undertook a Lenten vow in order to both sacrifice something (thus making me mindful of Christ's sacrifice for me) AND do something that would be an improvement upon my life (thus making me a better steward of the time God has graciously given me).

I finally decided to listen to the game on the radio (while I was in the kitchen making dinner), knowing that some might say if I'm listening to it, I'm not really giving it up and I might as well watch it on TV. But what I was giving up was actually seeing it, which for me heightens the experience. Basketball is a hard sport to follow with just your ears, and the colors and crowds and bands and players jumping up and down, and the "will-it-or-won't-it-go-in" arc of the ball from the 3-point line...it fills me with memories of my alma mater and my experience of college (where I sat on the floor of every home game at Pauley Pavilion save one in all four years). Watching a game brings me joy on a deeply personal level.

Ultimately, the sacrifice was meaningful to me (even though we got spanked by the Gators). And God blessed me additionally in a surprising way: I reflected more on the sacrifices made every day by visually impaired people, and that strengthens my connection with Lomax, the puppy I'm raising in the hope that he'll someday become a guide dog. In the end, He took the fruit of my mental gymnastics and brought my Lenten vow back around to reflect on Himself and my service to Him...which is the point of the whole thing.