The group stage of the World Cup is coming to a close this week. The Holy Father has made it his intention for June that “sports be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.” As a recovering athlete and someone who enjoys winning far more than he should, the Pope’s words have stirred an old question in my imagination: Does God care about who wins a game?
It may seem trivial to ask, or perhaps even a little pagan. God certainly has matters of far greater importance to occupy His attention than a sports match. Even if God did have a preference, surely that must be unfair to the players. It hardly seems proper to imagine God having a preference.
