Super Bowl Sunday

​February 6, 2011 the Green Bay Packers will compete against the Pittsburgh Steelers in what some think will be the most watched Super Bowl ever.  I have to admit I’m pretty excited because since my childhood I’ve always been a diehard Packer fan.  Pregame hype is huge because of a compelling matchup between two legacy teams who will line up against each other for the Lombardi trophy for the first time. Pittsburgh already has the most Super Bowl wins in the National Football League with six.  Green Bay won the first two Super bowls and added a third win behind quarterback Brett Favre.  

Companies advertising for this monstrous event will pay Fox Sports about 3 million for 30 seconds of airtime which is about $100,000 per second.  The 45th Super Bowl could be the biggest advertising event of the year with as many as 110 million viewers expected to watch (that’s more than the entire population of Mexico).  We will be entertained by companies that want us to buy shoes, candy bars, chips, cars and beer.  I can’t help but think about how convoluted our values are!  It costs anywhere from $1500 to $30,000 (depending on the depth) to dig a well in India or Africa.  A well can give clean water to 500 or more people.   Just imagine if the average cost of digging a well was $15,750, 190 wells could be drilled and serve over 95,000 people clean water.  Who knows how many lives would be spared of death to disease and dehydration just because a well was dug!   As much as I like Green Bay, I would much rather see people excited about giving their time and money to helping those who will never see a game on television and wonder how they will survive the week.  
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Many will wake up on Monday depressed because their team lost while those who backed the winner will be elated. And for all those who are fans there are just as many people or more who don’t care and wonder what all the hype was about.  Yet, if 22 men and a pigskin can generate that much electricity here’s a far more profound thought.
 
Meditation
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17—For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.
 
As much as I like football, I would much rather see people consider what side they will be on when the game of life ends and God pronounces His judgment.  The greatest event in history won’t be a championship sports match.  It will be the return of Jesus in triumph to an earth filled with those who cheer His every move and those who refuse to believe His life even matters.  I’d rather be caught up in the air than catch a ball for a touchdown.  How about you?  Are you ready for the final event and on which sideline will you be found?    
 
Inspiration
The typical individual who allocates some energy to personal spiritual growth spends an average of four hours per week on these endeavors.—George Barna in Growing True Disciple (The Super Bowl lasts about four hours).
 
©2011 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)