You've been warned!
I've never worn pads and I've never played a down of relevant tackle football; and yet I feel like I've been playing football my whole life.
I feel like I've experienced kickoffs, first downs, punts, turnovers, and even this hits.
Why do I say all of this? (Especially given that I don't know any inside terminology, coaching, or training that players do)
Because the mental picture of my life story takes me to the football gridiron. I see yard lines, endzones, first down markers, hard hits, play-calling, coaching, opposition and most noticeably perseverance.
I've never been in the trenches of a football game. I've never taken a hit. I've never had the ball come my way when it matters (or doesn't). But when I see it, and when watch those games; when I see men fighting in the trenches and picking each other up; when I see them holding onto the ball after a violent hit and chugging their feet forward; when I see a catch with everything on the line, I just cannot help but feel like I've done a similar thing in my life. And it brings me so much joy.
The narrative of football is incredible. Each team has it's own story that would take entirely too long to share, so I'll just stick with my 49ers, as they are the reason that I'm writing this post.
A lot of my appreciation of the football to life metaphor is based on my history of watching 49er football (The rest of my appreciation is based on my encounter with the gospel message and conversion to Christian living - but all of these factors are intertwined).
This is because the first 49er game I remember seeing was Superbowl XXIX on Jan 30, 1995. This game was two weeks after the 49ers finally beat the hated Dallas Cowboys 38-28 to earn a bid to the Superbowl. I was 6 years old and I remember being at my Aunt Katherine's house that day that Steve Young 'got the monkey off his back'. Another way to explain all of this is that the first game I ever saw of the 49ers was the best game I've ever seen them play....BY FAR!
Since then what have the 49ers done? Oh, let me tell you!
The '95, '96, and '97 seasons they lost to BRETT freaking FAVRE in the playoffs at Lambeau (I HATE YOU SO MUCH) Field. And in '98, TO finally caught the ball for The Catch II, but the 49ers went on the road to a less talented Atlanta team and lost as the shattering of Garrison Hearst's ankle was too much to bear. In week 3 of '99, Steve Young took a violent shot to the chin by Aeneas Williams and concussions ended his career- UNBELIEVABLE!!!
In '00, the 49ers let go of my beloved Jerry Rice as TO caught 20 passes in Rice's last 49er game against the Chicago Bears. In 2001, the 49ers bounced back and went 12-4 and lost in the playoff at Lambeau (I HATE YOU SO MUCH) Field to BRETT freaking FAVRE... and in 2002 the 49ers limped into the playoffs against a hot Giants team that jumped up on the 49ers quickly before the best comeback ever led my Jeff Garcia, TO, and strangely Tai Streets. BUT, the next week the 49ers traveled to Tampa and got hammered by a far better team. After that, let's just kindly say that 2003 (thanks for nothing Dennis Erickson, you're the WORST!) through 2010 happened; and by that I mean 7+ offensive coordinators, 3 head coaches, no playoff appearance, no winning seasons, pretty much no good players, etc..
And now?
The 49ers somehow have coach Jim Harbaugh who has led them to a 16-4 record (including playoffs). AND the 49ers are widely seen as the best team and the NFL for the first time since Superbowl XXIX. (Of course there was the heartbreak of the loss to the Giants last year and the golden opportunity to win the Superbowl against a likely overmatched New England team.)
So with all that, the nearly 300 49er games I've seen in my life, I can safely say that this narrative is incredible and it's so much like what life has in store for us; a search for purpose, seasons of raw emotion, seasons of grit, seasons of loss, seasons of immaturity, and seasons of improvement or success.
At the cosmic level, life is like football with the feel of a season (you fans know exactly when I'm talking about). At the microscopic level, life is like football with the feel of the trenches and grit of the game. In any case, there's substantial beauty, purpose, and intrigue.
Everytime I watch a football game or movie, I look at the player who perseveres and I ask: can I be like that? can I do that? Will I do that if it came down to it? Will I metaphorically break the tackle, catch the ball, or simply hold on?
And I look back and I remember the heroes of the faith: Abraham, Paul, John the Baptist, the prophet Ezekiel (Read Ezekiel 37:1-14!), and so many more through the past 2000 years. They battled in the trenches, in the doubt; in the seasons of disgust, depression, and darkness on top of the seasons of ease, joy, and clarity. And with that, I consider Christ, who is metaphorically the best football player ever. And that's why I feel content with the game - with life- content with the good (which truly entails a lot), the bad (which truly entails a lot), and the 100% monotonous (which truly entails a lot! And yes, for those of you who know me quite well, this is really is a simple reflection on the daily grind of life that I'm currently in, as opposed to a reflection on any substantial events of my past.)
I mean, I feel like in the football-esque life Jesus is the lead blocker paving the way for a few extra yards, Jesus is the one throwing the ball to only where I can catch it, he's helping me tackle when I don't have the strength to wrap up, and he's picking me up when I'm laid out on the ground from a hard hit.
Man, I love football. And I love life seen (partially) through the lens of football. I love it all, because I love the God who brings purpose out of the ordinary. The God whose story intertwines with mine and makes beauty of the ordinary. I'm thankful that he has turned 18 year of watching football into something (at least slightly) more than an enormous media intake. :)
So, I'm going to keep watching football (at a relatively balanced rate) and I'm going to let the ordinary narrative continue to speak to and inspire me; and hopefully it says something just as good on the day the 49ers season might end as compared to the day the 49ers win their 6th Superbowl title.
