Chiefs at Raiders - Week 12 - Record: 8-3 - The Take

As I shared yesterday I spent the afternoon with my daughter. I watched the game on DVR later that evening, and, of course, it was immensely enjoyable. The best part, again, is that we meant business in the second half. Our running game was productive, and sorry, Clyde Edwards-Helaire was an instrumental part of that. I do believe getting him involved especially in our short passing game will help the receiver play we've all been lamenting so much.

Rashee Rice had a number of fine catches, one of which he took from some distance out for the score. It is obvious his yards-after-catch ability is exceptional. He really is the one guy who is rescuing the stature of our receiving crew. I would have like to have seen the team finally employ Kadarius Toney downfield more, but he was out for the game -- whupp, hopefully his past injury issues are not afflicting the Chiefs too much now.

Otherwise a nice dominant win for once -- this team is too good for us to have so many uncomfortably close games this season. 

I did mention that I'd gone to see the Taylor Swift concert film with my daughter, and I thought I'd add a bit more about that since I'd mentioned it yesterday.

I am not a big Taylor Swift fan -- it isn't that I don't like her, I just pay no attention to much of anything about her. But it was obvious watching the film she is an extraordinary performer. Her music is actually pretty good, and she is phenomenally talented, as a songwriter and entertainer. Her music is quite seductive, in the sense that her lyrics speak to the lives and relationship experiences of her fans.

Thing is, as a follower of Christ, I was concerned about a number of things I saw, which I did address with my daughter. She was very good about understanding and conversing meaningfully about them. I could mention a number of them here, but the main one is just how devoted her fans are. And yes, it is clear this devotion borders on idolatry.

Really, how much is one's attention to, adoration of, even obsession with a given thing replacing the genuine devotion that should only be afforded to God? I actually only say this because I too can be guilty of this. 

Can I give the Chiefs too much of my emotional investment? I know I can. If you've read some of my blog before you know I can do the very best ugly -- I've ripped Chiefs people new aye-holes far more viciously than I'd like to admit, with I believe Andy Reid and Clark Hunt getting the brunt of my embarrassing ire.

On the other end of this unseemly passion, just as much as Taylor Swift endears herself to millions of devotees, her new beau Travis Kelce can do the same for all of us Chiefs fans. Like Taylor he is smart, committed, industrious, personable, charismatic, and on the field does things that win games. Taylor and Travis are winners, we can vicariously experience the glory of their success over and above the things each of us experience in our lives that are not so glorious or glamorous or gratifying.

It is exceedingly entrancing.

Thankfully God shares with me some things that keep me grounded. Two weeks ago we were privileged to get free tickets from an in-law of a relative who could not attend the Rams-Seahawks game at SoFi Stadium -- ironically the same venue from which all the Taylor Swift concert footage was taken. 

Sitting behind us was a gentleman who was, shall we say, quite a devout Seahawks fan. I mean rather expressively so. It wasn't as much his cheering for his team, one that actually played pretty well on the whole. It was his incessant grousing about every little thing that didn't go right for his team.

Huh.

Sounds like me sometimes with my own emotional commitment to the Chiefs.

And wow, was this Seahawks fan annoying. Just sayin'... I never want to be like that. Elation when we do well? That's great. Disappointment when we don't do so well? Not a good feeling. But when that obsession gets overwhelming it is far too painful than it should be, not just for me but for those around me. This is precisely because my perspective may get wildly out-of-whack.

I have been around some fans, especially when attending live sporting events in-person, who just can't hold a perspective. And it isn't just the scoreboard -- add in all the drinking and gambling and, as Scripture says "jealousy, fits of rage, and selfish ambition," along with whatever other ugliness is in the mix, and you've got a nasty idolatry. (That biblical verse is in the fifth chapter of the letter to the Galatians, by the way.)

So yes, I spent the afternoon with my daughter during an optimum opportunity to spend time with her. It was right at the time of the Chiefs game, and yes, just before the movie started I noted we were ahead 28-17. I did not check my phone again until the movie was over. The wonderful thing was settling in to watch a scintillating concert performance on film that was genuinely enjoyable, except for those things...

The main thing is the time spent with my daughter, the film experience was good and the conversation afterwards was good too. I have the same kind of vibrant interactions with my sons regarding all things Chiefs, all of that is good too.

But to keep all of it from being to destructive to my psyche, I know I must give all the glory for the ultimate victory to God. I humbly but heartily encourage my readers to do so too.

Blessings.

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The photograph was taken by David Gray at the official Chiefs site. Thank you.

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