Many millions will watch the Super Bowl today. Many Christians might even feel guilty for doing so – afraid that watching sports is nothing more than a “waste of time”. As a big sports fan myself, I’ve heard that one over and over from friends and relatives who, intentionally or not, make me feel guilty for enjoying athletics.
Sports fans, I have some good – no, make that super – news for you! As it turns out, watching sports can actually be a form of contemplation, according to Father James V. Schall, SJ. In his marvellous book of essays, “Reasonable Pleasures” (Ignatius Press), Fr Schall argues that something similar happens to us when we watch a great game, something that’s quite similar to what happens when we contemplate the Almighty. We’re taken “out of ourselves”. Aristotle, writing in the 4th century BC, noted that sport, or play in general, is actually the closest many people ever get to this highest plane of human activity, contemplation. And that similarity makes sense. C.S. Lewis once wrote that “play is the serious business of heaven”.
Enjoy “contemplating” the game, everyone!
