Super Sunday II
Armodoxy for Today: Super Sunday
It’s that time of year again. It’s Super Sunday! Everything gets put on hold for this Sunday. Hostages are still being held, wars are still be fought, rogue nations are still developing plutonium for bombs, and on the streets, fentanyl is destroying lives and politics continues to divide families, communities and the nation. But for a few hours on Sunday, at least here in the United States, two of the best football teams will battle it out for the championship title. Everything else will be forgotten for those few hours as the Superbowl takes center stage and puts the world on hold.
The Superbowl is a multi-billion-dollar operation. The average cost of a ticket is close to $7,000, even though the best seats are relatively inexpensive considering that the game is televised and streamed on many platforms throughout the world, affording fans an opportunity to huddle together with friends and acquaintances to share chips, dips, bar-b-cues, and drinks that make the Superbowl another opportunity for comradery and partying.
Businesses and companies have studied and know the power of this event. They will spend millions to grab your attention during the Bowl game. This year they will be spending $15Million for a minute of advertising. Think about about how many bottles of beer, or how many potato chips, or how many policies a company has to sell to recoup an investment of that size. The mere fact that they advertise at the Superbowl tells you that they have thought about how many cans of soda they have to sell and they know their investment will pay off.
It’s simple business practice: It takes money to make money. And Jesus brought it down to this: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
In Armodoxy we refer to this Sunday as Super Sunday as well, but in reference to another event. It’s the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s celebrated every Sunday and so we refer to every Sunday as a Super one. The Resurrection is the event that overshadows every other event in human history. Unlike the football game (which is actually the story of a ball going from one team to another, from one side of the field to the other for a few hours)… everyone has an opportunity to win, everyone has a best seat in the house, and everyone can invest in it for a large return.
“I am the resurrection and the life,” says Jesus, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
Happy Super Sunday.
A prayer from St. Gregory of Datev, O Mighty one, You formed in lordly fashion the complete natures of all things out of nothing, of all beings, of all existences out of no existence. Through you shall all these your creatures be renewed at the resurrection, in that time which is the last day of this life and the first day in the land of the living. The first-born Son, being your kin and of the same essence of the Father, obeyed you also with oneness of will, as he did his Father. While in our likeness, he proclaimed you as true God, equal and consubstantial to his mighty Father. He declared blasphemy against you to be unforgivable and he stopped the impious mouths of those who rebel against you, as of those who fight against God, though he forgave blasphemy against himself, the righteous and the spotless one, finder of all, who was betrayed for our sins and rose for our justification. Glory to him through you, and praise to you with the Father almighty, unto the ages of ages. Amen.