Spirituality and Sports

I recently wrote a blog on professional golfer Zach Johnson's public expression of faith in Jesus Christ upon receiving the coveted green jacket as the 2007 Master's champion. Today I discovered an article comparing Johnson with Kurt Warner (both graduates of the same Cedar Rapids, Iowa high school). After leading the Rams to win Super Bowl XXXIV and being named Superbowl MVP, Warner's expressions of his evangelical faith became well known.

As with Warner, Johnson seems to be learning to deal with how to deal with those who oppose his public profession and those who want to exploit it. Everyone from academicians to marketing specialists weigh in with their ideas in this article.

All this brings to light the post-modern idea of the sharp dichotomy between public and private life. The prevalent thought is that it is okay to believe what you want to believe but you must never express those beliefs in a way that might challenge anyone else's private thoughts. Of course those who hold such a philosophy have no understanding of genuine, biblical Christianity.

A true Christian cannot divorce his private faith from the his public words or actions. As the Apostle Paul said, "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col.3:3). He also wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me" (Gal.2:20).

If as believers our old man has died and now we are risen to new life in Christ, there is no possible way that we can separate ourselves from Christ, whether in the church or on the golf course.

Soli Deo Gloria!