Civility, Morality, and Basketball

Today I went to a professional basketball game.  Not NBA professional, of course, seeing as I live in Vermont where the NBA is only watched on tv, but not college teams either.  For the most part in the past when I've gone to athletic events, the players played and the fans supported their team, but not to the detriment of the other team.  I thought that was normal.  I guess I was wrong.  The fans at this game today were downright rude.  They would cheer every time a player on the opposing team missed a basket, and they would boo them if they did something right.  They would also try to distract them while they took foul shots, holding up signs like, "That's (insert number here) for the distraction!"  Now, it is true that I have never been to an official professional game, regardless of the sport: NHL, NBA, NFL, or major league baseball - and maybe that is the norm for real games.  But it seems to me that sportsmanship should extend to people watching the sport rather than just the players.  Basic moral principles should not be thrown out the window for the sake of one's particular team preference.  Or maybe that's just my opinion, and the sports world would consider me practically illiterate in the knowledge of what is appropriate and what isn't.  Maybe I'm holding everyone to a higher standard that isn't normal.  But I think that "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" is a guideline that affects more than just everyday interactions with people.  That command was directly from Jesus himself, and he also asked us "not to conform to the patterns of this world," which to me would indicate more of a conscious decision to try to be more like Jesus. 

I think that morality is so overlooked in society today.  This has nothing to do with politics, or what current issues are right or wrong.  It has to do with how we treat one another, and how we act daily, in the little things.  Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, o man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."  We have been given a gift; we have been shown what true mercy, love, humility, and forgiveness look like through Jesus and also through God's interactions with his chosen people in the Old Testament.  And what have we been asked in return?  To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.  To act with grace, uprightness, honesty, and righteousness in relation to other people.  To love to forgive - to be openhearted, kind, and loving, developing the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).  And finally, to walk with, or to develop a relationship with God.  To rely entirely upon him as the source and creator of the things we are called to be.  In doing this, we are following his will as bearers of his image.  

And so what would be the result of following this command?  The world would instantaneously be transformed if it happened all at once.  I guess that's what heaven will be like; no one will be mean or prideful, and we would all seek each other's best interest, viewing each member of the body of Christ as a precious child of God, just as we should do now.  It appears that I have gone on a rather long tangent from the original story about a basketball game, but I think that there are some ideas to be taken from that game that can be applied daily.  The New Year is quickly approaching, which calls for resolutions.  So this year, I'm going to try to be more like Jesus, striving to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God."