With all this said, I have to get something off my chest. Last night, I was watching the news and a sports story came on concerning Payton Mannings (quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts) upcoming contract negotiations. The Colts want him to stay in Indy real bad, so the talk at this point is that he will be offered a $20 million/year contract PLUS a $50 million sign on bonus. This will make him the highest played player in the NFL....EVER!! People!! The man plays a game!!! He strategically throws passes, or hands off a ball to someone to get it through men who are trying to stop him past a line at the end of a field. IT'S A GAME!!!
Tiger Woods is the only billion dollar athlete and he hits a ball with a stick into a hole better than anyone else. He was lifted up as a hero...dare I say, a god...but the hero fell. Why?? Because he is a human being with imperfections, flaws and weaknesses. He is not without fault, he is not supernatural. He is a man.
I can't help but think of my friend in Fort Wayne who is a police officer. I remember her telling me of an incident on the job that could have so easily taken her life. And yet, she continued to put on that uniform and get in her squad car to protect the citizens of Fort Wayne. "No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) It kills me that this woman who risks her life every day she works and even on days when she's off duty has to work part time jobs to make ends meet.
I also think about my step-daughter who is a teacher in public schools. She chose one of the tougher school systems in our area because she wanted to touch the lives of kids who may not have as good a chance as those in other schools. She works long hours, then she comes home and has to work grading papers, preparing lesson plans. She just recently earned her masters degree. She is teaching young minds and preparing them for their future. Yet she and her husband often struggle financially. The public schools were making cuts when the Colts were getting a new stadium and we in Indy were given a tax increase to support it.
The priorities in this country are majorly screwed up!! The highest paid people are not the firefighters, teachers, police officers, even the president. Our military families are often on food stamps and welfare and they are defending our country!! The highest paid people entertain us!! Granted there are the corporate folks who are making good money as well but I'm talking about the people who entertain us and how they not only live like kings but are exalted as gods and godesses. There is only one God. "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) Think about it.
As you can probably tell, this one bothers me a bit. What do you all think??
LOL America is an entertainment-run society. And football is the most popular sport in America. And the fans generate their billions in profit. And Indy wouldn't be Indy without Peyton. It's all a strategy so that the big guys keep making big money. Peyton just happens to be the key to what they want, so they share it with him.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is ridiculous. But, unfortunately, that's the way the world works. People need other people to worship and things to obsess about to fulfill their dull and meaningless lives and celebrities and sports stars are the perfect vessel (well, they THINK).
Sadly, I predict Jesus would be making less money than Tiger Woods at this point.
It's awful, I know. I think that's why so many kids are unmotivated to do anything except try out for American Idol or make it to the NFL.... because those are the things that make the most money and get you the most fame.
ReplyDelete:( It's all false idolship.
Preach on, sister. If life were fair, teachers would make $50 million and Tiger Woods (and every other professional entertainer/athlete) would be wondering how he was going to pay the electric bill next month.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Lauri it isn't fair. However, sports entertain us. Everyone in the entertainment industry makes more than teachers and police officers. It's a huge issue that isn't going to change unless every single one of us decided to stop watching football. Then the league would fall apart and we'd have nothing to distract us during those long fall months. The unfairness isn't just there it's the whole job market. Is it fair that someone I work with gets over 3 dollars an hour more than me when we have the same title and I work harder than they do? Nothing out there is ever fair, we just have to deal with the lot we get in life.
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