Crossing the Lines!
Nearly every sport has an out of bounds line. When that line begins to fade, then the game begins to become harder and harder to play. When the line is gone completely, then something must be done or the game is over.
Many Coaches have a drill where for a brief time, they remove the out of bounds lines. Basically prison rules become the norm and they encourage their players to get away with anything they so choose to win. For some crossing that line began with junior high dodgeball. We can all laugh about a dodgeball moment, but the truth is when removing the line someone often ends up hurt.
Humans for some reason are barbaric by their sinful nature. Go back in time and ask yourself.
How could people go to a Roman sporting event and watch Christians be torn limb from limb? In those days, wrestling matches were to the death as there were no rules and brutal tactics such as gouging eyes out were encouraged.
Gladiator is one of the epic movies of all time, but do we really want to go there as a society? How could families go to public hangings or watch people be beheaded? How could people not see the wrong in slavery? Surely sacrificing babies doesn’t exist today or child porn is not a thriving industry! How could people go watch and join in the taunting as someone was tortured, whipped, and hung on a cross?
Sports has always impacted culture. I am not going to lie. I love a boxing slugfest like Tyson Fury’s last fight where he had a Rocky like cut on his face. I love a good hockey fight. I love when Robin Ventura charged Nolan Ryan! I was at the Ranger game a few years back when Jose Bautista’s controversial slide into Rougned Odor at second base sparked a wild fracas. The fans went crazy. I liked the old school NBA with Dr J and Bird going at it on occasion.
So what is the problem? Where is the moral line and who actually controls it? Move the line too far to the right in sports and you no longer have competitive football. Move the line too far to the left and you have life ending or paralyzing cheap shots.
I believe we as a culture have become too soft in the United States moving the toughness line too far to the right, while at the same time moving the moral line way too far to the left. Kids can’t do anything at recess. At one school my kids attended they removed balls from recess because they were too dangerous, while at the same time encouraging elementary aged kids to practice safe sex. They called it education.
With this mentality, Is it a surprise that kids are questioning their sexually? Fathers are disappearing from the home. Mothers are as well as both parents must work in order to compete with the cultural line of financial pleasure. Divorce is the norm and what is being pushed on us as normal would cause our great grandparents to blush and roll over in their graves.
What is out of bounds? Is there an out of bounds any more in our culture? Our rights are no longer protected, instead the right to do anything we please is now the moral code. Freedom has a whole new definition.
Is America great? You can point out how bad it was during slavery or segregation and I would agree with you completely. Who controls the line? Federal Judges? The government? Hollywood? A referee?
Since I am writing this blog, I am obviously expressing my beliefs and opinions. Let me borrow a line from one of my mentor’s David Leatherberry, a life long missionary, “God protect me from myself”. Michael Jackson even saw it as he warned us about the man in the mirror even though he could not protect himself from crossing the line.
If you are struggling with where the lines should be drawn, then search the game plan yourself by seeking wisdom from God in His word. There is an Answer! To avoid falling into our own selfish sinful nature, choose to follow a moral compass established by God in the Bible. Once you have chosen to follow Christ Jesus, then learn to listen and follow the Spirit of God that is in you!
Photo by Niketh Vellanki on Unsplash