**WARNING** Politically charged football related religious post ahead

I have been reading a book called “I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening)” – and I highly recommend it (in case you’re looking for some solid non-partisan reading material). 

One chapter in the book talks about the need to be willing to take off your political jersey.  It urges readers to step back from the sound bites and the platitudes on the party platform and be willing to look at things from a broader perspective and come together on common ground.  It reminds us that we are humans before we are constituents (or voters) and that puts us all on the same team in the larger scheme of life on this planet.

Anyway, it got me thinking about the “teams” that I align myself with.

Being tightly tied to a political party has never really been important to me (or I don’t feel like it has).  I don’t feel tethered to one party over another, I tend to vote for what or who I feel is right over following any kind of party line.  While I have ALWAYS voted and worked to be an informed voter, it is this lack of love for any one camp that kept me from declaring allegiance to a party or participating in caucus meetings for a long time (I wasn’t especially welcome having not joined the group). 

Don’t get me wrong, I have strong political opinions – I always have.  I just don’t happen to align well with the D’s or the R’s (or any other letters you might want to throw out for me). 

But even without a partisan connection, I still felt this idea of stepping back from your jersey was important and I wanted to apply it to other groups I align with and evaluate my behavior within them as well.

Being a sports analogy, my initial thought about “teams” was my dedication to my preferred college team.  I was born and raised a BYU fan.  In our home, love of BYU was almost a religious loyalty.  My dad wouldn’t even wear red, the color of the U of U -- the opposing university.  While he didn’t go so far as trying to ban the use of their name, he was devout, to put it mildly, and that rubbed off on his children.

Then I got married.  My husband is also a devoted BYU fan, but he comes at things from a completely different angle.  While I was taught to hope for the U to lose to every opponent they faced, Josh cheered for the U as long as they weren’t playing the Y.  He believes it makes sense to hope for the success of every team in our state because those wins benefit the state as a whole and give clout and increased attention to every other program. 

I saw the power in that and I decided that was how I wanted to do things moving forward and that is the attitude we have tried to teach to our children.

Coming back to the topic of teams, I did some more thinking about this book and realized probably my biggest “team” is my affiliation with my church.  I believe strongly in the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and feel a close connection to God and His love for me.  It is a “team” that I am always grateful to be part of, a team that has really shaped me as a person. 

But there are plenty of people not on my religious team.  In fact, whether you classify it by my faith in God or by my specific sect (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), TONS of people aren’t on my chosen team and for a lot of people, this is a painful rivalry that runs incredibly deep. 

I thought about taking what I’d learned from Josh’s view of college football and tucking that around these “teams” divided by religion.  Instead of taking on the contentious sports attitude I was raised with where I hope for your downfall because we don't agree on this one thing, I want to adopt my husbands view when it comes to my participation in this “team” too. 

Yes, the people who do not believe the same way I do have chosen another squad, but in most ways, their actions, decisions, and successes still greatly benefit the community and world around us.  We agree on so many points.  We want good schools.  We want strong families.  We want freedom.  We want to end human trafficking.  We want reduced crime and safe neighborhoods and good restaurants nearby and roads without potholes and clean air and so much more. 

We have tons in common.  We can cheer for each other, build each other up, and work together almost all the time.

Now, there will be moments when it comes down to a head to head (that BYU vs Utah game is definitely highly charged).  There will be times when my views and theirs are in conflict.  When that happens I am going to stand up for my team and I expect others will do the same.  I’ll put on my jersey and cheer and chant and do all I can try to advance the ideals I believe are right and so will they.  We’ll express our views and advance our causes and if we do it right we’ll remember that we are opponents on opposite sides of an issue, not enemies out to hurt each other.

In football, a rivalry game is usually one game out of 12 in the season.  That means 11 out of 12 times I can cheer for the U and hope for the best for them.  And I do. 

I want to do the same thing off the football field. 
Be they political or religious or something else, our affiliated teams may differ on some points (maybe gun rights, maybe abortion, maybe gay marriage, maybe welfare, maybe climate change, maybe immigration, maybe other things) but we can choose to cheer for each other when we aren’t in a head to head moment.  We can choose NOT to classify people exclusively by their jersey.  We can choose to see beyond the “nothing comes ahead of this issue” attitude and remember that underneath it all we are humans together.

I love my teams.  I am grateful to be part of them.  They give me assurance, understanding, and peace and I am very grateful for that.  But I refuse to be so entrenched in the ideals of my group that I cannot choose to see the good in someone who is wearing a different jersey. 

As the authors of this book wisely say it, “There is nothing inherently wrong with group affiliation.  But there IS something tremendously wrong with prioritizing our differences over our sameness…”

Let’s take a step back.  Let’s choose the see the broader picture – the one where we all share this world and every person on it matters regardless of what team they are on. 

I never want my jersey to keep me from seeing the value of another soul. 

It’s been something good to ponder this week.