Those who know me, know this about me: I HATE when the Flyers lose. I hate it. There are few things in this world that get me more upset. It ruins my day (sometimes more than that!), puts me in a horrible mood, and really causes me to become a bitter, angry person for a time.
Seriously...I don't know if I can convey strongly enough just how much I hate it when the Flyers lose.
Part of my problem is the fact that the Flyers get a raw deal. This is not me just being a fan and thinking the world is out to get my team; players that have come from outside of Philly have been traded to the Flyers while feeling that the Flyers were just always complaining any time they were penalized or lost games. But shortly thereafter those same players have said that they came to realize that the Flyers really do get a raw deal. There is a vendetta against the Flyers by the officials dating way back to the 70s and 80s with the "Broad Street Bullies" - an era of time when the Flyers were known for their rough and tumble play, where they would beat other teams by knocking their heads off. After all, you can't win a hockey game if you're lying bloody and toothless on the ice. That style of play has been long gone from the Flyers, yet that reputation has followed them for decades...and they are frequently penalized not for their actual actions on the ice, but for this outdated reputation.
This irks me, because it's not fair. They should win (or lose) games based on their skills and how well they play (or not), not based on the officials giving the other team unfair advantages. There is an injustice in this that reflects the injustice in the world.
So, I hate it when the Flyers lose. Really. Today, when the Flyers were losing, someone posted something to their Facebook page, irate over something that had happened to them at a restaurant. As soon as I read it, I thought to myself, "Really? You're getting that upset over something so minor and silly?!?"
You might expect that I realized that someone else might look at someone's team losing and say that's minor or silly...but I disagree, and that is not the point I'm trying to make. =) What I am trying to say, though, is this: whether it's a hockey team losing or something that happened at a restaurant, or something truly major and awful, God is still God. The injustices in the world will be handled by God. The awful situations we face are far less awful when we realize that the God of the universe is in control, and He holds the universe in the palm of His hand.
I got to see 39 people baptized tonight. 39 people that made a public profession of the way Jesus has changed their lives. That kind of thing is a great reminder that, in the midst of whatever life brings, God is still God. It's a good lesson to learn.
I'm still going to pray for some justice in this world, though, with the Flyers. =)
