I write this as the finals of the NCAA Basketball tournament is on television. The tournament has become so popular we now know it as “March Madness.” Did you know that basketball began as a Christian outreach? The inventor of basketball, James Naismith wanted a more effective way to win men for Christ. In 1891, there weren’t a lot of good indoor games. Naismith set out to invent a new indoor game that students could play during winter. He came up with basketball.
Basketball served as an important evangelical tool during the next 50 years. In 1941, Naismith wrote that “whenever I witness games in a church league, I feel that my vision, almost half a century ago, of the time when the Christian people would recognize the true value of athletics, has become a reality.”
The next time you’re watching a basketball game with friends, particularly young ones, why not use the history of the game as an opportunity to turn the conversation to spiritual matters.
We could be doing a lot better with our young who are leaving the church and rejecting the faith of their fathers in alarming numbers. We need to be more creative and energetic in sharing our faith.
Half time is over. 22 to 19???: Sounds more like a football game.
Back to the game.
Be blessed.
Nick
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