Written by Sarah Gray
You’re sitting at an A-team club basketball game expecting to have a good time with friends while watching some fairly talented fellas make it rain on the court. This isn’t just any game though. These clubs are what some would like to call “rivals.” You know, the clubs that blatantly call each other out at roll call during pledge week and act foolish during every club athletic event.
It isn’t long after tip-off that this game turns into such a “foolish” event. The insults start flying from the crowded bleachers, along with other indistinguishable shouts and noises. Pretty soon, the objective of these zealous fans is to try to insult as many members of the opposing team as possible in hopes their team wins the game so they don’t look stupid. Oh wait, we’re going to lose? Okay, let’s just keep making fun of them so our giant egos don’t have a chance to deflate.
We see club rivalries clearly every day: at every group in the student center after chapel, at every table in the caf and especially at every club game. We hear about other clubs being more “spiritual” than others and how some clubs are not really “clubs” at all. But how far is too far? Sure, it’s great to be prideful about the club that you are part of. It’s awesome to be proud of what your club stands for, especially if your club represents service to the community, putting God first or purity in purpose. And what are club sports if you don’t have devoted fans that are willing to go all out to support their fellow clubmates?
One of the goals of social clubs listed on Harding’s Web site is, “The development of lasting relationships – fostering personal and social relationships through interaction among faculty, staff and students.” Social clubs are vital to the success of this goal among students. For most, the people in our club are who we first met and bonded with as freshmen. They are who we connect with the most, who we go to before anyone else, who will be in our weddings. They are foundational to our support, and they become like a family to us. Naturally when it comes to these rivalries, we are so quick to jump to defend our clubs to be their support because they are our family.
Another of the goals listed on Harding’s Web site is, “The promotion of Christian ethics – creating an atmosphere that emphasizes integrity and purity of thought and action.” So when we automatically think someone is a jerk because of the club they are in or when we make fun of someone because they are on the rival team at a game, how pure are our thoughts and actions? By judging them this way, what is that saying about our integrity, our moral character?
What about Jesus? Jesus was a revolutionary in his day. He broke down all kinds of social barriers. His focus was not on how people are labeled. His focus was on people. He was focused on the individual, looking at their heart, not what society thought they were or should be. He had lunch with those whom no one liked and paid no attention to those who criticized him for it.
If we are supposed to be like Jesus, if we are supposed to be built on Christ and serve in his love, why don’t we act the same? Why do we forget one of the greatest lessons of love when it comes to something as menial as social clubs?
I think we are forgetting something here: an acronym we have heard our entire life, WWJD. Yeah, maybe it’s a little cliché, but the message is impeccable. We should be reflecting Christ in everything we do.
Our mission as Christians is to spread the love of Jesus, even at club sporting events. It’s more than okay to be supportive of your club and to cheer on your best friends. But when this crosses the line into belittling someone because they are in a different club, it’s not right any more.
When you’re looking at that guy across the student center and you judge him because of the jersey he’s wearing, it’s not right any more.
The bottom line is we are all the same. Jesus died for all of us. If he is willing to look past everything that we have ever done, we have no right not to look past someone’s jersey.
Let’s follow Jesus’ example and break down some social barriers. Let’s do what he would do and spread the love.
