If you live in Ohio, tomorrow (November 22, 2008) is a particularly exciting day. The annual Ohio State vs. Michigan college football game will be played at noon and will be witnessed by over 100,000 fans that are willing to brave the elements in hopes that their team will prevail. Millions more, who may be smarter than a fifth grader, will watch the game inside the warm confines of their home. I will be one of those. I must be honest…I am not a huge college football fan. I know…horror of horrors. How can I live in Ohio and not be a football fan? I actually prefer the real football, the world’s sport – soccer! I welcome the smart aleck comments because I am not ashamed to admit that I am more excited about the Columbus Crew playing in the MLS Cup on Sunday night! Go Crew!

Seriously though, I seem to always catch the Ohio State vs. Mich**** game because of the extreme anticipation and intensity which defines this game. Even though Michigan pretty much stinks this year (sorry, they do), anyone can win this game. Record means nothing. It’s all about pride and bragging rights. These players will give their all and hold nothing back. The fans will be going nuts (in the cold, mind you) and millions of eyes will be glued to their television sets with sweaty armpits and palms as if they were the ones playing the game.

And you know something else which is amazing about tomorrow’s game? The labels which we have learned to put on people - Democrat or Republican, black or white, rich or poor - will not matter. Ohio State fans will forget about the differences they have with each other in order to accomplish a greater purpose – rooting their team on to victory.

Do you think the church could learn something from a football game tomorrow?


Addendum – I had to force my eight-year old son to wear his Ohio State jersey to school today (it is college football day). I have properly taught him to be a Duke Basketball fan, but I had to explain that daddy is not proud of Duke Football. I also did not want him to get beat up!