Often people in ministry fall to despair. Families are choosing sports over their faith. Practice is more important to them than petitionary prayer, sacks over sacraments. While it can appear this way, we have to begin to unpack what sports can offer a young person.
An athlete knows how to be a part of a team, is dedicated enough to accomplish a shared goal, and is often quite disciplined. For these reasons they will practice five times a week to play a single game.
Families will shape their limited off hours to support their sons and daughters, bringing them to practices, and travel some distance to attend a game. I think to understand a family's dedication to sports we have to ask, what’s in it for them?
The sidelines is often where parents make their friends. Even before their little ones begin preparing for First Eucharist, they are spending hours together on the sidelines. When they get there, there is plenty of time to talk, and the topics can be light and happy.
So, I guess all this time we’ve been asking ourselves the wrong question. Instead of ‘why do they value sports more than their faith?’ we should be asking, ‘how do we offer families what they are looking for, in a way that centers them in their faith?’
It doesn’t have to be one against the other, because you know what, the sidelines can be a mission field for our families. A family alive in faith, can spread the Gospel to their friends through their joy and service.
So here’s why we have cause to hope, we’re considering these questions in new ways. As a parish we are taking seriously our young families’ need for community, and creating opportunities for our young people to focus their efforts on good works and the Good News.
So next time you see young people in Church, and in service, cheer them on, because they could be anywhere else. This week, pray that we can all play on the same team, to continue the building of the Kingdom of God.
God Bless and have a safe week.