It is officially football season. NFL preseason games were on almost every television at Beer and Loathing, last night; where I sat and listened to our own, Matt Wallace and Carlos Figueroa, play and enjoyed a pint or two of a delicious IPA.
The college football season isn’t far away and soon my Saturdays will be spent peering into the television rooting on my beloved Hawkeyes, while I grill bratwurst, cook beans, and devour chips and salsa. Every year there is one game, in particular, I look forward to, it is the Iowa-Wisconsin game; unfortunately since the BIG expanded the two teams will not play for a couple of years. One of the reasons I have come to love this game is that my parents live in Madison, so it is a good time to spend with family. Another reason is the rivalry that has evolved, and the Madison fan base is pretty crazy. If you haven’t ever seen them “Jump Around” or “Row” you should check it out. Something a little less endearing is when the fans yell: “Shoot him like a horse”, after a player has been hurt and safely walked off the field. That is right, they yell shoot him like a horse. It is a little alarming. A little like hearing the Psalmist declare their enemies babies should be dashed against the rocks.
This type of language is used all the time in sports: Go out there and kill them; humiliate them; destroy them; etc., etc. There is something to this language that strikes a chord with people, to dismiss it is to be dishonest with ourselves and our neighbors. But our question this week is not about whether or not we ever think these thoughts or utter these words, instead it is does God think or feel this way? The scary thing is I don’t know that I couldn’t make a case that God has acted this way before: Of course there is the flood, which wiped out everyone but Noah–yes, I realize I should remember the rainbow; There is also the God that had to be talked down by Moses in Exodus 32 so God’s wrath didn’t consume his people. Then you have the example of how God related to King Saul. Just to name a few examples.
Although we have been talking about orienting ourselves to God’s love for everyone, this Psalm has me wondering if God doesn’t at least think about “unfriending” us every once and awhile. So I will ask you again: Does God or would God “unfriend” you or your enemies on Facebook? What if Moses asked God to do so? Would that make a difference?
Let me know what you think…here, or on Facebook.
