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The Super Bowl, ʿẨḇōḏâ, and Valentine’s Day

The Super Bowl, ʿẨḇōḏâ, and Valentine’s Day

Last updated on: February 14, 2024 at 9:13 pm by Martin Thomas Johnson

The Super Bowl, ʿẨḇōḏâ, and Valentine’s Day 2024-02-14T21:13:15-05:00 Martin Thomas Johnson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Over the weekend, I watched some of the Super Bowl for the first time in my life. I am not a fan of the sport and only watched because I was more interested in seeing the halftime performance and what all the hype is about over the romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

I am a hopeless romantic and champion the practice of love. However, my biggest takeaway from the game was how through teamwork, a team can overcome the odds and win. Sports demonstrate the strength of working together for a common good. It is a lot like love.

Put others first
Be compassionate
Communicate

Teamwork

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Teamwork builds connection. We conservatives are stronger when we work together for the greater good of God, instead of personal agendas. I grew up hearing that there is no ”I” in team. Jesus taught His followers to love others as He loved them (John 13:34.) Then He gave His life on the cross out of His love for others—Jesus served a greater good!

Serve

There are two kinds of love in this world, the selfish serve me and make me happy world’s version and the Christian teachings on love demonstrated through God’s willing sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We each must choose who we serve with our love.

Biblical love

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Growing up, I was taught that love is a verb and not just a feeling or word. Biblical love always takes our focus off of ourselves and puts it on others. Jesus constantly clashed with His Jewish followers about love(Matthew 22:36-40, John 15:12.)

Jesus reminded them to love others and God more than they love themselves. The Apostle Paul reminded the early church that love humbles us (1 Corinthians 13:1-13.) The Apostle understood love costs us something a lot more than a box of chocolates or flowers. As we celebrate Ash Wednesday, we know we are serving a greater good.

ʿẨḇōḏâ

Judaism places a high emphasis on serving because God called Israel out of the world to serve Him and His purposes. The Hebrew word in the Old Testament used for serve is ʿăḇōḏâ and it also means: to work, labor, or worship.

God knew people will worship who or what they love, worship is service to God or whatever or whoever we love. The prophet Moses said that we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27,) because we are made to serve and do the works of God.

The Jewish Shema declares God’s people are to love God with everything they have (Deuteronomy 6:4-5.) The Torah says God’s people are to serve others just as God cares for us (Leviticus 19:18.)

Feed the hungry
Protect the powerless
Speak up for the victims of power and corruption.
Give unbegrudgingly

When Jesus stood up for the least of these of His day, He was reminding His followers of the need to serve others (Matthew 25:40-45.) When we serve others and love our neighbors, we are serving God.

Worship

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It doesn’t matter if the life is in the womb or outside of the womb, we are called to value all life. When we devalue a life that is outside the womb and from another country, we are being anti-Christian.

The me-first approach to faith is anti-Christian because Jesus laid down His life for others.

Me

The idea that we come to church for what we can get from God isn’t biblical, this “me”-ology is a selfish approach to Christianity. Church is where we learn to serve God and others.

Jesus said His people would be known by their love for others, not themselves (John 13:35.) As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, we focus more on the people we love and care about.

The New Testament writers emphasize the need to put others first if we really love God (Mark 10:45, 1 Corinthians 10:24, Philippians 2:3-4, 1 Peter 3:8.) True love isn’t self-seeking.

Greedy
Prideful
Egotistical

America First

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Charles Spurgeon said it best, “God and the world will never agree, we shall never be able to serve both.” Christians and conservatives are called to love others before ourselves or we don’t love God at all.

That is why the America First agenda isn’t Christian, it only serves a man and a party that doesn’t serve ăḇōḏâ!

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