Roughing the passer is an infraction designed to protect the Quarterback from the most vulnerable position on the field. It is more often called now because of the huge contracts these players command. It might seem like it’s designed for prevention of injury, but it’s purely for commercial reasons. The fact that it might prevent injury is only an ancillary benefit.  

When we get roughed up in our field of play, there is no referee to penalize the miscreant. However it is our ability to stand right back up that commands the respect for ourselves and of others that might do us harm, whether it be by design or by happenstance.  

Football Season is Nigh

Football season is nigh. I am looking forward to the cool days of fall to counter the sweltering summer heat this year has brought. I only have to look out at the dead lawns in my neighborhood to see just how dry the season has been.  I will engage myself in earnest to light up the metaphor bonfire that lies within me when I expound on spirituality with football rules. 

Football Rules Are Very Complex

Spirituality is not at all complex, but it is hard to get know without opening the book and cracking the binder.  I try to practice every day and leave the rule making to the powers that be.  A power greater than myself. 

Wide Right?

I am wondering if I should abandon this project. It seemed like a great idea to move men closer to spirituality. A way to demystify an ethereal concept that we men need more exposure to than ever before. It can be something we can discuss in an open forum. I always like to think that the metaphor of football and spirituality could become kindred spirits, but I am just not sure at the moment anyway.  

Thrown for a Loss

Spirituality with football rules will guide me to either run pass or punt, and sometimes being thrown for a loss can set us up for the next 1st and 10.

The Spirituality Handbook

The football handbook for prayer and spirituality contains a 'grid iron' to mark our daily progress and a 'scorecard' to track our standings week to week.  In order to make the 'playoffs' in this 'league' we merely need to have a winning record.  We compete daily against the self we are leaving behind. Our adversary will continue to 'score' we have to be prepared for that.  Old habits aren't 'tackled' easily and we still 'penalize' ourselves by 'holding' onto familiar run patterns that our competition throws at us.

Kickoff

Well it’s summer and its time for the unveiling of Spirituality With Football Rules or SWiFR. 

As I have alluded in my trailer entries leading up to today spirituality is more like an invisible force that doesn’t have a breeze or precipitation that announces it’s arrival.  It is more of a subtle awareness that contains magnetic forces that we can either be attracted to or repelled from.

I chose football as my metaphor primarily because as men we are rooted in the concrete world and less comfortable in the ethereal one.  If we examine football it contains all the VAK* we want as men.  V is for visual.  We watch the game.  A is for auditory. We listen to the announcers, the crowd and the referee’s whistle and his call of the infraction.  K is for kinesthetic.  We feel the anguish of the dropped pass, fumble, interception or the exultation of a kickoff return TD or a bomb caught by our team in the end zone. 

Spirituality contains these elements as well with the difference being that instead of us doing the initial sensing we sense through the reflection of others whether they are those we love, hate or are indifferent to. 

Let’s take a time out, except there will be no commercials in SWiFR.