It’s Time
Time to assert another voice into the 24/7 discussion surrounding sports.
Time to make another attempt at asking if there might be a third way to consider the issues arising from the games we love. A way that transcends the typical language and categories media are obliged to think in and assumes the gospel has something to say about sport.
Time to reconsider the point of sports and competition beyond the scoreboard, beyond evaluation that limits itself to individual performances and “what have you done for me lately” bottom lines.
Time to ask what it looks like when the gospel intersects the field of play in the lives of those who take both their faith and the field seriously.
Time to consider the place of character in sports not as the language of losers, but rather a core concern of true champions.
Time to reintroduce concepts like “joy,” “play,” and “fun” into the harsh world of youth sports, a harshness that follows an athlete through the ranks of big-time athletics.
Sports have won. Whether a fan of sports or not, the American consciousness is saturated with games and the analysis of performance, with matchups and betting lines, with stories tracking player behavior both on and off the field.
But where can we go to think with the mind of Christ about these things? Where are people pondering and writing about these issues from a Kingdom of God perspective while also inviting others to join the conversation?
The Assist is our attempt to resource an underserved population—the athlete and spectator interested in allowing God to shape their thinking in every aspect of life. The Assist represents an effort to engage the issues surrounding sport culture, to open another door for sophisticated but accessible Christian analysis of sports, to offer daily spiritual content concerned with the redemption of both sports and those who love them.
The Assist is an evolving platform where you can be equipped not only to think differently about sports yourself, but also to be a difference maker in the lives of others who are influenced by sports.
Let The Assist become a regular stop on your sport-media journey and join the conversation!
Article posted by Ed Uszynski on January 18, 2016 and can be found here.