
Before last week's AFC Championship game against the hometown Jets (my parish, though in New Jersey, is closer to New York than New Meadowlands Stadium, where both the "New York" Jets and Giants play), people started asking me if we were going to have a parish Super Bowl party. We did last year, watching the Colts fall short against Drew Brees and the sentimental favorite New Orleans Saints. Our sanctuary is outfitted with a projector and giant screen, so it's undeniably fun to watch a game there. My stock answer to the Super Bowl question, though, was "Not if the Steelers win tonight." This, of course, only made people more curious. As it turns out, the reason I was only willing to host a Super Bowl party if the Steelers WEREN'T in it was that I didn't want people to see the person I turn into when the Steelers are losing.

This roller coaster ride serves to remind me, though, that it is the miracle of the Gospel that Jesus can truly know us, and yet love us. When it happens amongst humans, it's shocking. It's why people get married. It's also the very cornerstone of the Good News. We are known, in all our sin, our imperfection, and our pettiness. And yet, the Son of God, who knew none of that, no sin, no imperfection, no pettiness, died for us, to reconcile us to God.
It's possible that this knowledge might allow me to survive a Steelers loss in the Super Bowl. I just pray I don't have to find out.
No comments:
Post a Comment