Another Colosseum?

    Christians believe that history does not have to repeat itself.  While other (ancient) world religions understood life as a cycle of events, Jews and Christians understood history as having a beginning and moving in a line towards an ultimate goal.  Special events such as the Exodus and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus only need to happen once.  They are not repeated; they are to be remembered.  This staple of biblical and systematic theology seems to fly in the face of life as we live it today.  Let me explain.
    The Emperor Nero spent fantastic amounts of money on himself and his own comfort.  His estate (palace and grounds) contained large living space, lavish (swimming) pools, gardens, etc.  When he died, large portions of his estate were taken to build recreational space for the general population.  Today, the Colosseum sits on the site of Nero’s pools.  The purpose of the Colosseum was to entertain the general population so that they would not notice the troubles and challenges that constantly faced Rome and its emperors.  In fact, the Colosseum and its “sports” worked so well in distracting the general population that the emperors paid the admission cost out of their own personal treasury for all who attended the games.
    I think in our own way, we have built our own Colosseum(s) today.  In February, it is the Super Bowl for football.  In March, it is “March Madness” for basketball.  During the summer months, it is the majors in golf.  In October, it is the Fall Classic for baseball.  (In regional areas, add to the list the opening day for fishing and hunting seasons.)  For many, these are religious holidays.  These events are the center of our attention and nothing will distract us from them.
    About a week ago, NPR ran the story about how Michael (I think this was his name) was reprimanded for running a pool on March Madness teams.  It cost $5.00 to get in on the action.  Michael is 11 years old and his school principal was not amused by the number of students who were part of the pool.  The story ended by telling us that Michael had North Carolina going all the way. 
    As I listen to conversations all around me, I hear lots of grumbling about the costs of our Colosseums and their athletes.  Can you believe that so and so signed for $90 million?  It doesn’t matter that Syracuse has had ethical problems and its star center cannot play because of grades, Syracuse wins and fills the seats of its Colosseum every game.  In our society there are three standards when it comes to our Colosseums; namely, win, fill the seats, win.  Nothing else counts.
    I am not against sports.  I will watch sporting events on television especially on a Sunday afternoon.  That makes me part of the problem.  Television revenue pays the bill.  But what concerns me is that a ball game or a golf match can so dominate life that everything else pales in importance when my team is playing.
    Last summer I stood in the Colosseum in Rome and listened to a wonderful lecture about how this building and its sports distracted the Romans from the challenges that faced them.  As I remember that lecture, I see the same allure and distraction in our Colosseums and that scares me.
Pastor Pete