I\u2019ll admit it right from the start. I didn\u2019t plan it this way. It just sort of played itself out\u2026 kind of just happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Sunday night\u2019s Super Bowl LVII between the Eagles and Chiefs, I went into the game unsure of where my zeal would soon lie. I like the Eagles. I like the Chiefs. I admire the outspoken faith-comes-first approach of each team\u2019s leaders, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes. I also appreciate the newly popular podcasters, the articulate brothers Kelce, wittily representing their respective teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a perceived negative perspective, there isn\u2019t much I dislike about either team. I mean, with 53 players on each team\u2019s active roster, no team will corner the market on character. Granted, I\u2019m not a huge fan of either team\u2019s colors as one feels kind of blah and I\u2019ve also long semi-humbly declared that \u201cno man looks good in yellow pants.\u201d Just my opinion, friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what happened as the game ensued, with the Eagles soaring first and the Chiefs leading later, is that I found myself not choosing a team. In fact, I never chose one. I had moments in which I felt, \u201cHey, that\u2019s a great play!\u201d Or \u201cWow\u2026 where was the pass coverage on that?\u201d In other words, I had times where I cheered and times when I jeered \u2014 times perceived to be supportive and critical of each NFL team. But there were no darts thrown. No zingers. There was something about my absence of choice that allowed for both a more objective analysis and an awareness that insult was unnecessary. Not only is insult unnecessary, but it serves zero constructive purpose; insult only serves to rattle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scenario made me increasingly observant of the number who attempt to make us choose\u2026 like we can only be one or the other\u2026 an Eagles fan or<\/em><\/strong> a Chiefs fan. And we do this in far more than football. We attempt to make people choose\u2026 We tell them they have to\u2026 they stand for nothing if they don\u2019t stand for something. They\u2019re either for us or against us!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends, let me say this as kindly as possible. I think that\u2019s a bunch of nice-sounding hogwash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not being mean. I get it. I really do. If I can get you to join me in my thinking, I get one more person on my team. And if you don\u2019t choose me, well, I can write you off a bit. I don\u2019t have to waste my time with what you think. The only problem with that is that the person who sees the wisdom of not needing to conform to our culturally-crafted, black-and-white sides is also typically the one who holds the greater likelihood of objective analysis. Our \u201cchoice\u201d often impedes our discernment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think simply of this past week, of the number who encouraged such black-and-white choosing on much\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n On who is most adept at protecting us from those big, bad spy balloons\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On whether it was right or wrong for the First Lady to kiss the Second Gentleman on the lips in public of all places\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On whether the eye-catching \u201cHe Gets Us\u201d commercials have unstated, ulterior motives\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On whether Pres. Biden is too old to run for re-election, Pres. Trump is too old to run, and if \u201cageism\u201d is in play for either man or Madonna\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And of course\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n On whether grown men ever look good in yellow pants. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends, I know this isn\u2019t a popular perspective. It doesn\u2019t always feel good for the beholder either. I admit, it would be easier<\/em> many days to choose \u2014 to make everything black and white, to quit being curious, to adopt a singular standpoint and then run all analysis through our binary filter. That would be easier.<\/em> We could quit listening to the different then, ignoring the reality that we will always have more to learn. We learn most when we remain curious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At our Super Bowl party Sunday night, in fact, where we had a festive crowd of some 30 gathered, there is no doubt that both the Eagles and Chiefs diehards in the room would have preferred I choose their team. You should have heard them cheer! I get it. Indeed! I feel the same way about my beloved Bengals and Boilermakers in their respective sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Granted, I\u2019m not always the most objective either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019ll admit it right from the start. I didn\u2019t plan it this way. It just sort of played itself out\u2026 kind of just happened. For Sunday night\u2019s Super Bowl LVII between the Eagles and Chiefs, I went into the game unsure of where my zeal would soon lie. I like the Eagles. I like the … <\/p>\n