Wearing Your Team's Colors

After a Sunday filled with some good football games, it's easy to have this topic on my mind this morning.  I was thinking about how we show support for our favorite football team by going to games or sitting in front of the television wearing jerseys and t-shirts and hats - perhaps even painting our faces and waving big "#1" foam fingers in the air.  And home games are the best, aren't they?  We get together with friends who all wear the team colors - and even people we don't know are like family simply because they share the same love for the home team.  Proudly showing our colors is easy when the surroundings are comfortable.

I have some friends who are fans of the Philadelphia Eagles (pronounced 'Iggles') and they are travelling down to the D.C. area tonight for the game against the Redskins.  I can guarantee that they are wearing their finest Eagle's jersey's and hats and will not be shy about showing their allegiance to the green-and-white.  Isn't that what being a sports fan is all about.  We want it known that we are part of this franchise and we'd be ready to jump right in there if the coach called on us.  We're more than willing to take the name-calling, the food being thrown at us, the obscene gestures...All because we love our team and want to be associated with them.

I attended a Bruins - Flyers hockey game not too long ago with my brother-in-law here in Philadelphia.  We were walking across the parking lot and spotted 2 Bruins fans decked out in their team's gear being all proud that they were there.  As we passed them, my brother-in-law shouts - "Hey, he's Bruins fan too!" while pointing in my direction.  They questioned "Where's your jersey?" - I had no answer...I wasn't wearing one (and honestly don't own one) but the next thing they said was, "BOO...BOOOOO - you're not a real Bruins fan!"  We laughed, but I can't argue...I claimed to be a Bruins fan, but was too ashamed and fearful of being called names that I chose not to make it known.  And unfortunately, it's all too easy to do that in our Christian lives.

We Christians find it easy to wear our team colors at home games too.  We put on our Sunday best, we proudly carry our Bibles and notebooks and put smiles on our faces and sing songs and pray out loud in Sunday School.  We may let an "AMEN" slip out when the preacher says something we agree with or raise our hands in praise when worship choruses are sung.  It's easy to do that among our friends and family, just like it is in football.  The difference is that when go to work or school or the grocery store on Monday morning, we seem to forget that team allegiance and take off all of our "Jesus gear" and try to slip through the crowds without anyone noticing.  We can't even support other "Jesus fans" because we can't recognize them.  We might as well be Eagles fans wearing Redskins jerseys.

Can I encourage you today to put the "Jesus gear" back on the other 6 days of the week?  We claim to love God and we're working to get better at loving those around us, so we ought to be proud of the fact that we are Christians and not be fearful of the name-calling or objections.  I am not suggesting that we go out and start berating the "opposing team" - because that isn't showing love as I mentioned last time.  1 Peter 4:16 "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."  Take your Bible out of your desk drawer and leave it on top.  Take the Max Lucado book you're reading to work and read at lunch with your office door OPEN.  Feel free to pause before lunch, close your eyes and say grace before lunch with your clients at Applebee's.  Stick up for your classmate who is being made fun of.  Say an encouraging word to the cashier who looks likes she's had the worst morning possible. Show your love for God by being bold and perhaps it will lead to an opportunity to share your faith with a friend or coworker.  We can't show love if we're too afraid to be known as Christians.