Does God Care About Football?

Two Sundays ago, the football season ended for my beloved Denver Broncos.  We were one game away from heading to the Super Bowl, but lost during a blinding snowstorm without our starting quarterback who broke his foot the week before. 

I'm still a little bitter over the loss.  I have to admit that I offered a prayer to God the night before the game, and said something like, "God, I know that you probably don't care one bit about the outcome of a football game, but if you could see your way clear to do it just this once, and let me team win, that would be more than great."  

I've had many prayers go unanswered in my life, and there was probably a reason for it.  This was one I really wish God had decided to weigh in on, though.  

Anyone who has ever loved a sports team knows the feeling. When they win, we feel light, energized, almost unstoppable. When they lose, it can feel strangely heavy, as if a small grief has settled into our chest. 

We invest more than time into these moments—we invest hope, identity, and emotion. That is why a championship can feel transcendent, and a last-second loss can feel personal.

During my recent trip to Senegal, the Senegal national soccer team won the Africa Cup — a tournament for national teams in Africa.  It was a game fraught with controversy, and the Senegalese were certain it would be stolen from them.  And then they won.  

The next day, I was talking with one of our translators on the trip about the match, and he said, “God was with us, and good triumphed over evil.” 

I understood this immediately.  But hearing it from someone else made me pause and truly ask myself: Does God really care about the outcome of a match? Does God pick sides on the field?

Scripture does not suggest that God is orchestrating final scores or favoring one team over another. But Scripture does tell us something deeply reassuring: God cares about us. God cares about what moves our hearts. God cares about what lifts us up and what brings us low.

Paul writes, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). This is not only a command for how we treat one another—it is also a window into God’s own heart. Throughout the Bible, we see a God who is emotionally present with humanity. In Psalm 34 we are told, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” In John’s Gospel, Jesus stands at the tomb of his friend Lazarus and weeps (John 11:35), even though he knows resurrection is coming. God does not rush past human emotion. God enters it.

So while God may not be invested in the standings or the trophy, God is invested in the people in the stands and on the couch. God delights when we experience joy, connection, and celebration. God mourns when disappointment, grief, or sorrow weighs on us. And this truth extends far beyond sports.

When we fall in love. When we welcome a child. When we land a job. When we lose someone we love. When a dream comes true. When a season ends in heartbreak. God is present in it all.

The good news is not that God makes our team win. The good news is that God stays with us—win or lose, cheering or crying, hopeful or hurting. God’s greatest allegiance is not to a scoreboard, but to our hearts.

May we trust that in every joy and every sorrow, we are not alone.

Prayer:
Compassionate God, thank you for caring about our lives and our hearts. Rejoice with us in our joys and hold us close in our sorrows. Help us remember that your presence is our greatest victory. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do you notice yourself experiencing strong emotions connected to sports or competition?

2. How does it feel to imagine God sharing in your joys and sorrows?

3. Where might you need to invite God’s presence into your emotional life right now?