And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5, ESV)
I was a proficient student growing up, but I did not enjoy school per se. Though motivated to stay eligible for sports, I otherwise held a negative belief that others expected perfection of me. I took in information and regurgitated it back out. Matter of fact, I don’t remember reading outside of the school year. When back surgery after my final NCAA Golf Championship left me stuck in bed, I found the captivating world of novels and a new interest in reading and learning.
Fast forward 30 years and I am back in the virtual classroom taking professional development classes through the Faith & Sport Institute. The most recent class I completed is Sport and Theology, where we considered sport through the lens of creation, the fall, and redemption theology. Sounds a little heady, I know. But stay with me until the end.
Have you ever wondered if golf, or sport in general, is important to God? It’s a question that fuels vibrant conversations in many circles. In his article, “More than a Game: A Theology of Sport,” Jeremy Treat elegantly writes, “Sports are more than a game, less than a god, and when transformed by the gospel can be received as a gift to be enjoyed forever.”
The good news of redemption is possible, even for golf.
Treat’s quote is an invitation for us to embrace the complex (and frustrating) elements that make golf more than a game. We are not to make golf an idol, only God alone is God. And lastly, when we welcome the gospel transforming the ways in which golf shapes our character and values, it truly will be a gift for all time—now and for eternity.
Let’s consider how we might reframe golf through the theologies of creation, the fall, and redemption.
> If God created all things, and they are good, then golf is also a part of his good creation. We use our created bodies to swing the club and our senses to enjoy the outdoors, animals we see, land, vegetation, and obstacles to overcome.
> In the wake of what we understand as the fall of creation—Adam and Eve being banned from Eden—golf is also subject to the brokenness in the world. At times we worship golf more than God, our golf performance influences how we feel about ourselves, and golf often instigates us to anger and frustration.
> The good news of redemption is possible, even for golf. The redeeming of our golf experience happens as we walk the course with integrity, honor, kindness (to ourselves and others), and incremental growth to experiencing the created goodness of time on the course with joy.
I hope this resonates as you reflect on your own personal experience with golf, or any favorite activity for those who are non-golfers. We are embodied souls being rescued by the God of creation who is making all things new.
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Tracy Hanson
May 27, 2021
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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