Considered one of my favourite films of all time is Chariots of fireside. It's a historic drama based mostly on undeniable fact that occurs to ship a really Christian message.
The movie focuses on two English athletes competing within the 1924 Olympics – Eric Liddell and his rival Harold Abrahams. Liddell, a Scotsman and religious Christian, is refusing to compete within the Olympic qualifying heats for the 100 meters as a result of the heats are held on Sunday, Lord's Day. Regardless of being a sizzling favourite to win, and regardless of big stress from the British Olympic Committee, Liddell is sticking to his weapons and refusing to compete on Lord's Day.
After a lot forwards and backwards with the English Olympic Committee, a compromise is lastly reached. Liddell finally ends up competing within the 400 meters because the qualifying heats are held on a weekday. He wins the 400 meters and Harold Abrahams finally wins the 100 meters.
After all, the actual story is a bit totally different. Liddell knew concerning the 100m heats that had been held on Sundays months earlier than the Olympics. So he determined to coach and compete within the 400 meter race nicely prematurely. However he was taking a giant threat as a result of his probabilities of successful the gold out of the 400 had been far higher than the probabilities of him successful the gold out of the 100. Liddell's fervor for his religion and his need to have a good time the Lord's day all the time struck me as an inspiring story.
The video games proceed
Some 92 years later, in 2016, on the weekend of March twenty fifth, twenty sixth and twenty seventh, which occurred to be the Easter weekend final 12 months, sports activities followers within the US weren’t watching the Olympics, however they had been in a position to watch a variety of sports activities on TV or attend varied sports activities motion. The NCAA Males's and Ladies's Basketball Championships had been underway. NHL hockey video games, the PGA WGC-Dell Match Play Championship, the LPGA Kia Traditional, a lot of Main League Baseball spring coaching video games and even skilled tennis matches have been performed and broadcast. Likelihood is there have been soccer video games and perhaps a PBA bowling event someplace.
Regardless that these three days occurred to be Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, that didn't deter the NCAA or skilled sports activities from having fun with the thrill of competitors — and the chance to earn money. I think that thousands and thousands of People attended the varied pageants or watched them on tv.
This 12 months's Easter weekend falls on April 14 to 16. A fast verify of the schedules reveals that Main League Baseball is scheduled for all three days, the PGA RBC Heritage Golf Event is April 13-16, and the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs start on April 12. will in all probability be held and perhaps even a bowling event or two. And whereas many massive firms are closed on Good Friday, retail shops, film theaters and lots of different locations that serve the general public are prone to be open all day on Good Friday and all weekend as nicely.
Selecting leisure over Jesus
All of this says one thing concerning the decline of Christian tradition in the USA. Why do Christians, and particularly Catholics, select to go to a recreation or watch a bunch of extremely paid skilled athletes on TV on Good Friday or Easter Sunday? Why achieve this many individuals select to go to the flicks or buy groceries as a substitute of spending the Easter weekend or at the very least Good Friday and Easter Sunday reflecting on the sacrifice the Lord made for us and attempting to atone for his or her sins in some small manner? Are there so many who’ve starved for enjoyable and leisure that they willingly put their need for earthly pleasure earlier than the wants of their immortal souls? It lifts the thoughts.
And extra to the purpose, why do skilled athletes who’re Christians don’t have any downside engaged on Good Friday and Easter Sunday? That is additionally worrying. Is cash that essential?
Christians or pagans?
Lest I be accused of being a realist, I perceive that skilled athletes in main league sports activities need to signal contracts. And if the league schedules a recreation on Good Friday or Easter Sunday, the athlete doesn't say “no, I'm not going to play that day.” These are working circumstances, a lot the identical as for a grocery retailer cashier who’s advised, 'you’re engaged on Easter Sunday.' However league sports activities have gamers' unions that might negotiate these days off. Skilled golfers, tennis gamers and bowlers might additionally select to easily not take part in any event scheduled for these days.
Companies {and professional} and beginner sports activities organizations will seemingly argue, “however there are individuals who don't see issues that manner. They need to be capable to go to the sport in the event that they wish to.” That's all nicely and good, however that doesn't imply Christians need to entertain Gentiles. I assumed the concept misplaced its attraction when the Roman Empire collapsed.
Golf on Good Friday?
After all, it's not simply companies {and professional} athletes who appear to have no downside disrespecting and dishonoring the sacrifice our Lord made for us. For years, some members of the golf league I performed in used to tee off on Good Friday. They known as it a “tune-up” for the kick-off of our league recreation, which all the time begins in Could. Some have even satirically referred to this monitor as 'Heathen Open.'
Regardless of my repeated objections and makes an attempt to persuade them that golf actually shouldn't be performed on Good Friday, these largely Christian males continued their Heathen Open custom for a lot of years, with out me in fact. I don't know if it was a results of my badger or not, however after 5 or 6 years the Heathen Open is lastly over. I prefer to assume I helped these guys see the error of their methods, however I'll by no means know for positive. One of the best ways to unravel this downside could be to respectfully keep at house with the best choice in golf simulators.
In any case, abstaining from secular actions for at the very least just a few days a 12 months just isn’t such an excellent sacrifice contemplating the agonizing and agonizing demise that Jesus Christ underwent for us. Attending the Stations of the Cross and even simply spending time in silent prayer reflecting on struggling doesn't appear so unreasonable to me. Fortuitously, most Christians at the very least nonetheless go to Mass or their denominational providers on Easter Sunday. . . earlier than they head to the cinema, the mall or the sport or activate the TV.
Holidays or holy days?
In his exhortation, Pope Francis rebuked the world and the way too many individuals now select to stay their lives THE GOSPEL OF JOY. His message within the exhortation on cash is just like the messages additionally delivered by Benedict XVI, St. John Paul II, Paul VI, St. John XXIII and popes as much as Pope Leo XIII.
“No to the brand new idolatry of cash.”
55. . . We created new idols. The worship of the traditional golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a brand new and ruthless guise within the idolatry of cash and the dictatorship of an impersonal economic system missing a really human function.”
I take pleasure in sports activities (taking part in and watching sports activities on TV) as a lot as anybody else. My spouse could say greater than the opposite. However sooner or later, society crossed a line. Good Friday and Easter Sunday appear to have change into holidays very similar to Memorial Day and the 4thThursday July – days of recollections, however above all a possibility to exit to have enjoyable and spend cash. Immediately's message is: “In any case, keep in mind that Jesus Christ died and rose from the useless for us, however don't neglect the economic system! Now we have to maintain it buzzing, you already know! Exit and have enjoyable, store, go to the flicks, spend cash.”
The best commandment
“When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered collectively, and one in all them [a scholar of the law] examined him by asking, “Instructor, which commandment within the legislation is the best?” He mentioned to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your coronary heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your thoughts. That is the best and first commandment” (Matthew 22:34-38).
God created us and put us on this earth to like and serve Him. Nonetheless, as a society we appear to have overlooked this basic and overriding reality. American Catholics and Christians should start to place God first in every part we do. Eric Liddell knew it. Liddell put God first.
