More than hype

Well, the Super Bowl is over. Over ninety million people watched the New England Patriots and the New York Giants battle it out to see who could claim the coveted title as "The NFC Champions for 2012." After four preseason games, sixteen regular season games and the playoff games, the New York Giants are now "The Super Bowl Champions for 2012."

The amazing thing is all of the hype that leads up to a sixty minute football game! The week before the big game there a so many channels from ESPN to major networks showing highlights of the past season. All of our favorite football movies from "Brian’s Song" to "Rudy" are shown over and over again.
The night before the big game they have the "NFL Honors" paying tribute to those who played the game so well in 2011. Then, the day of "Super Bowl XLVI" finally arrives, and it is begins with a pre-game show that last even longer than the game itself. Everyone is so excited!

Excited about what? Some are excited about all of the very expensive commercials that will be aired during the show. Some are excited about Madonna’s halftime performance. Still others are just excited about having a Super Bowl party with family and friends. I wonder, how many of the 90 million viewers really care about who actually wins the game?

In this world, it’s easy to get our values "out of whack." Some couples do a lot more preparation for their wedding than they do their marriage. Students can care more about a grade than what they actually learned. An employee can be more concerned about getting a paycheck than earning a paycheck. In church, we can put more emphasis on a worship service than we do about serving. We can participate in the most wonderful worship service in the world, but if people are not able to see our faith by the way we treat them and other people, of what good is it?

Jesus made it very simple for all of us when He was asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" This is what Jesus said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40. NIV)

If our families, the people we work with, and our neighbors don’t see that love lived out in our lives, then we are just a bunch of hype? If we worship God every Sunday and it doesn’t translate into our daily walk, it’s just a bunch of hype. We can go to church three times a week, read the Bible every day and even memorize a verse a week, but if it doesn’t make us more like Jesus; it is just a bunch of hype. I John 4:8 says, "God is love." We are called to do and be the same.

Well, the Super Bowl was a great game and maybe it deserved all the hype it received. But bottom line, it’s not about the hype, it’s about the game.

So, don’t be distracted with all the hype and stay in the game!

Because of Him,

Pastor Mac Fulcher

First United Methodist Church

Port St. Joe