God’s mysterious ways
When it comes to religion and sports, I am a devout Yogi-ist.
Yogi Berra was behind the plate one game when a batter stepped into the box and used his bat to draw a cross in the dirt.
Berra scratched out the cross with his cleats and said gently, “Why don’t you just let Him watch?”
Berra believed in the separation of church and plate.
That’s kind of what Aaron Rodgers was getting at after his Packers beat the Seahawks on Sunday and he said, “I think God was a Packers fan tonight.”
That was a tweak at Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, who credited God with the win when the Seahawks beat the Packers in the NFC title game.
Not only did God give that victory to Wilson, he put a cherry on top, with a thrilling (if you’re a Seahawk) finish.
“That’s God setting it up, to make it dramatic,” Wilson said. “So rewarding, so special.”
God is a great gift-wrapper. But so many questions are raised. Did God love Wilson that much in January, or did he catch the Packers worshiping a golden Holstein?
Is God a fair-weather fan, switching now to the Packers, or did he maybe pick up Rodgers in his fantasy league?
If you accept that God micromanages games for a purpose, then when you strike out or lose a big game, why don’t you publicly thank God for bestowing upon you the blessings of knowledge, strength and humility that come with getting your clock cleaned?
The Super Bowl, of course, but does God watch every regular-season game? And every baseball game, even when both teams are out of contention, even though he can get any movie he wants on demand?
If a guy hits a homer and points to the sky, should the pitcher dust that guy next time for being a blessings hog?
If a famous athlete who is Hindu or Buddhist is reincarnated and breaks his own records, is it bittersweet?