My feeling is that, whether they realize it or not, people want God in their life. They want someone to point them in the right direction. Problem is, people also want the glory seized from having gone in said right direction.
Take what happens to this guy Matthew Berry, for instance. He writes a column on espn.com in which he advises people on what players to start, sit, pick up, trade for, etc in fantasy sports. For the unaware, “fantasy sports” are those in which regular people – myself, your Spanish teacher, whomever – draft real life players to compete against each other in a variety of statistical categories. As dull as that may sound on paper, people get really into it. Your fantasy team becomes a major source of conversation and, for a disturbing percentage of the population, it’s even an impetus for bragging rights. Hey, whatever works for ya.
Anyway, Matthew Berry – or “The Talented Mr. Roto”, as he’s apt to call himself – will occasionally publish letters from his readers. Typically there will be a few people blaming Berry for that week’s fantasy league loss. “Why did you tell me to trade for Carl Crawford? You’re such an idiot. How did you get this job anyway?” and that sort of thing.
You’ll probably notice this phenomena in other walks of life as well – blaming Clark Kellogg for erroneous NCAA Tournament picks, wanting to wring Jim Cramer’s neck for a stock suggestion gone awry. Had the result been in their favor, somehow I doubt the blamer would credit Berry or Kellogg or Cramer. In that case, of course, they would accept the glory sans reference to their advisor. I’ve seen it a million times. People talk about winning a fantasy league when all “they” did was follow the advice of some internet writer.
I think that anyone falling into this category secretly wants to believe in our God. They all want someone who will provide guidance through life, someone to follow. They don’t necessarily want to do a lot of independent thought – just someone, someone please tell me what to do! I don’t want to have to think for myself!
It's like the dog thing all over again: people will thrash about looking for answers, they'll ask their friends, Wikipedia, whatever. But the real peace is only through the Lord...and knowing that is pretty much the best feeling of all.
(and my guess is that, if He really wanted to, He would help you with your fantasy football team as well)
3 comments:
Have you ever questioned your sense of having gone after "said glory"? How is what you've written here any different than the problem you present? You are writing this because you've taken what somebody told you to do, taken the direction someone's given you, and held yourself above others because their need for direction relates to sports, yours to a pastor or elder and god.
You're arrogant enough to write about your feelings of what people need. How did you come to this conclusion? Did you read a book about it, do any research, develop your view based on the foundation others have laid? Did you take any advice to arrive at the current state of intelligence you've presented here?
You've written this piece in the pursuit of glory, and even more arrogantly claim the real peace is through god, implying those with other pursuits are fools and missing out.
Your master stroke is your last grab for glory, by letting everybody know YOU know how to have real peace because YOU know god.
I'll listen to a fantasy fan brag all day for doing research and making the right decisions in their hobby, but to read an article by a Christian using the pursuit of glory as a tool to pursue glory himself is disturbing.
^^^^ Wow, absolutely ownedddddddd
Perfectly put VMRL.
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