So, is it a sport?

Let the drama begin! The 20th Winter Olympics are about halfway over. I got lucky this weekend. We usually can't get the local NBC affiliate, but something magical happened to the rabbit ears. All weekend I enjoyed bobsledding, downhill skiing, snowboarding, and (gasp!) ice dancing. OK, maybe enjoyed is too strong a word when talking about ice dancing. The tv was on, providing background noise while the ice dancing athletes competed. While my wife and I sat there, I asked the question aloud, "Is ice dancing a sport?" Before you pass judgment on the "sport" or on me for what you assume may be my opinion, consider these thoughts.

First of all, I do not doubt the physical conditioning of the people involved. Like I told my wife, I'm sure that all the male ice dancers could kick my butt without any problem. They certainly show great coordination. I can barely do the dance steps in shoes, much less on a thin metal blades. But great physical condition and coordination do not a sport make, do they?

Maybe I shouldn't even be asking the question. Maybe my initial assumption is in error. I have always considered the Olympics a sporting event. When someone refers to the Olympics, they almost always say "Olympic competition". There are all kinds of competitions, including dancing. But the competitors are almost always referred to as "athletes" and to me that denotes a sport. I've never seen an ice dancer on a Gatorade or a beer commercial. If ice dancing is a sport, at what point did it become one?

Which leads me to an important question about people on a faith journey. At what point does a person on a faith journey become a Christian? There are lots of answers to that question. I think only one answer matters, that of the final judge - the person from whom the name "Christian" derives. I've got my thoughts and I'll admit that my interpretation of those thoughts is constantly evolving, though the center does not change. I'll be glad to post them later. But I'm really curious to hear from others on their own journeys. What do you think?

Tuesday 2/21/06 11:24 AM Afterthoughts
- Do ice dancers want to be considered athletes?
- When would someone on a faith journey call him or herself a "Christian"?
- Does everyone on a faith journey even want to be called a Christian?