This is a picture of our sign from Sunday night. Notice the lights of the UGA football practice field directly across the street. Our Intern, Mitch, has done a great job of changing out our sign this semester and coming up with great (and sometimes provocative) things to put up for everyone on Lumpkin St. to see.

This was one of my favorite signs so far: “God Loves People Not Football.” As you might expect, this sign elicited more response than most. We saw several people stopping to take a picture of this sign on Saturday while they were on the way to the football game. We also had someone knock a bunch of the letters off of the sign on Sunday night. Several people have commented on the sign and asked if we were trying to say that God hates football. That’s not the message that we were trying to send, but I’m glad that it made people think.

One suggestion was that we put “God Loves People More Than Football.” That might have been appropriate, but I’m still not convinced that God loves football. We probably use the word love a little too freely sometimes. God may like football. I’m pretty sure that’s true. But I don’t know that God loves football.

We were also trying to place God above football, which can be a challenge in Athens from time to time. At the Unite event earlier this month, Coach Richt welcomed us by saying that we often come to college and focus on our minds and bodies but forget the most important part of our selves: our spirit or our faith. I always appreciate how Coach Richt places so much value on faith. Even if it’s a challenge for some of the fans, I think that he would place his faith above football.

With the size and scope of the athletic facilities directly across the street from us and university property surrounding us, I’m glad to be a witness to the university community of the sovereignty of God over all of creation (even football).