In 2012, Alabama and LSU played the BCS championship game. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 21-0 victory over the Tigers. On ESPN the next morning, a sports analyst made an interesting observation. He said that the college football season left him feeling somewhat dissatisfied. After all, Alabama and LSU had already played each other that season. Both universities were in the SEC. He was thinking that a playoff of some sort would end the season in a more satisfying manner.
I wasn’t convinced at the time. I’m still not. College football has a playoff now. The final game in 2017 features the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers. Both schools are in the southeastern part of the country. These same teams played each other last year in the championship game. Ho-hum — unless you happen to be a Bama or Clemson fan. Not entirely satisfying.
Earthly pleasures, by definition, leave us wanting something more. The Bible says that “the things that are seen,” the things of this world, “are transient” (2 Cor. 4:18). The purchase of a car, for instance, is a great pleasure. It sparkles in the sun and has that unmistakable “new smell.” But then the bank starts expecting a fat check every month. A careless shopper at Wal-Mart scratches the passenger door with her cart. The kids drop fries on the carpet and spill drink on the seats. Before long, the new vehicle is used. And its owner starts thinking about trading the thing in for something new. A car is a transient thing, and it doesn’t truly satisfy.
All material things have this transient nature in common. New houses age and crumble. New clothes fade and wear thin. Even our bodies are “wasting away” (2 Cor. 4:16). And the pleasures associated with the world’s activities are even more fleeting than material objects. How long will the euphoria of winning the college football playoff last? A few hours.