GOD and Football: Book Review +
Earlier this summer my wife and I took a quick trip to Fairhope, Alabama. While perusing through a local store I ran across this book by Chad Gibbs. I was hesitant to buy it, after all I only have about 25 other books on my “to be read shelf.” However, I was persuaded to buy it after two complete strangers observed me looking at it, and spoke up to say, “That’s a good book.” Do you know what, they were right!
Throughout the book Chad openly struggles with his god-like obsession with SEC football. As a Christian he wants to be defined by his faith in Jesus, but often finds his self-worth coming from his Auburn Tigers. . The book documents Chad’s 2009 adventure in which he visited every SEC town for a football game on Saturday and a local Church service on Sunday. I cried when I read this book. Not because it’s sad, but because Chad is my kind of funny. I really appreciated his humor toward each SEC School and each Christian denomination he visited. I’ve posted some of my favorite excerpts below:
- I was born again, again, and my second honeymoon with God lasted all of about four weeks.
- Then came the 2008 season. Auburn’s Book of Job.
- Why do I spend all my money to go watch something that only makes me angry? And why do I waste so much of the precious time I’ve been given eating, sleeping, and drinking a game played by college kids I’ve never met? And as a Christian I have to ask, why do I worship something that I know will let me down when I could be worship a God that I know never will?
- Being a lifelong Vanderbilt fan helps you to accept the cross.
- (After a several hour rain delay at Auburn) “The players just ran out of the tunnel and we started the game. Very minimalist. Like letting Primitive Baptist run your pregame.
- Thursday night football in a word is, unnatural…. It’s like Billy Graham at Hooters.
- (At South Carolina) BBQ chicken was on the menu, which seemed a little cannibalistic for USC fans.
- Michael’s cable did not pick up the Auburn game, which was apparently on ESPN-AL Jazeera.
- Plus Many More
I highly recommend this book as the college football season approaches.
