Church Voices

As we head into March Madness I’m reminded of how often the default position for many fans is to root for the underdog when no other loyalty is in play. So, for example, when a guy born in Cincinnati and living in Illinois sees a match up involving Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of California, Los Angelos (UCLA) playing in the first round the instinct is to root for VCU because they are pretty serious underdogs.

In fact, most sports movies use the scrappy underdog who achieves far more than expected as the backbone of the story. Rocky 1-4 and 6 (much like Star Wars episodes 1-3,I refuse to acknowledge Rocky V exists), Hoosiers, Bull Durham, The Bad News Bears, and pretty much every other successful sports movie out there relies on this formula.

Could it be that part of the widespread support for the underdog is a part of the image of God which everyone has been created in? After all, the scriptures are pretty clear that God is a big fan of underdogs, and part of being his people is to support the underdog.

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 10.18

“Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”
Deuteronomy 27.10

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1.27

All these groups, orphans/fatherless, widows and aliens, were kicked around because of their weakness. They were the equivalent of a football powerhouse putting a cupcake on their schedule because it guarantees an easy win. And in most places they were kicked around on a regular basis.

But among God’s people its supposed to be different. The weak and powerless are supposed to be cared for, not exploited. Of course, it didn’t, and doesn’t, always work out that way. So, this year when you see a big name, highly seeded team go down to a school you never heard of and feel a little bit of happiness because of it, let that happiness remind you that when you take care of the underdogs in your life God is pleased.