"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
First commandment
You shall have no others gods before me Exodus 20:3The ten commandments were written at a time of pluralism (many gods). Each nation had its god or gods. The Old Testament is full of stories of how God's people worshipped other gods. They did not necessarily abandon God but added on different gods.
Modern society too is pluralistic. The UK has a strong Christian heritage but as people come to settle in the UK from other lands they bring their gods with them. Hindu temples and mosques are commonplace.
As committed Christians we are unlikely to convert to Islam yet are we none the less in danger of putting other gods in God's place. Sociologists have noted how for many fans supporting their team has become a religion. There is often a banner displayed at Old Trafford “Manchester United, the religion". When Eric Cantona was the United star player, fans used to wear shirts with “7 God” on the back.
This commandment requires that we love, trust and fear only God. It demands that we recognize that God alone can meet our needs and give us significance as people. Our significance as people is in who we are in God’s sight – not in what we possess or have achieved in life or in sport.
Cyrille Domoraud, Ivory Coast captain in the 2006 World Cup, was brought up in a family where witchcraft and fetishes were respected. Cyrille had to make a dramatic decision. “I used to wear a ring supposedly for protection. If someone wanted to hurt me, they couldn’t, because of the ring. When I was injured, my sister, who was a Christian, told me I had to chose either to believe in Jesus or the ring. I asked Jesus to come into my life. I took off the ring and threw out all the fetishes, charms and tokens. Since then I have put my trust in Jesus”.
Our experience is unlikely to be as dramatic as Cyrille's but we still need to ensure that sport is in its proper place and that God has the place that is His.