Fandom and the Way of Christ

What does it mean to be a fan? For most, it looks like cheering, chanting, singing, or crying (sorry Dallas Cowboys fans). For the diehard fans among us: a decked-out tailgate party, an outfit with team colors, and an intimate knowledge of the roster, the game, and why the coach should have run the other play instead (looking at you Pete Carroll). For the casual fan, it is a fun time, a time to “talk trash,” to follow the back and forth on the scoreboard, and a time to enjoy the sport you love. Even for the bandwagon fan, it is a chance to “jump on the train,” and to get caught up in something bigger than yourself, if only for a moment.

I start talking about fandom by defining what it is, there will be dozens of perspectives, but little clarity. The edges are defined but everything inside remains fluid. I can be ecstatic one moment, despondent the next. I can swear off my team forever only to have my passion rekindled when next season rolls around. Fandom can be fickle, but seldom indifferent.

Fandom is intrinsically formative. Being a fan starts with an internal process that is expressed externally. Yelling, chanting, or coaching from the stands are what fans do, but all those things are aimed at deeper connections they have to the things they care about. You’re a fan because you identify with it. You are part of a fandom because you desire a community to share in it. And you formed this identity in numerous ways – your dad or mom was a fan of a certain team, or you grew up in that state, that city, or that country with a team you had to cheer for. You are a fan because you married into it, your big brother or sister loves it, you got to meet that athlete personally, or any other number of myriad reasons.

I grew up in North Carolina in the golden decade of the 90’s. Everyone was seemingly a Charlotte Hornets fan, we all had high hopes for the newly-christened Carolina Panther’s, when March rolled around so did the TV carts, and we sat in class and watched the ACC and NCAA college basketball tournaments. we knew who we were cheering for, and who we were against, and we knew that we identified strongly with our team representation. We found fandom by sheer geographical location!

For many, fandom is a way to connect to the bigger picture that is happening before you. In many cases, fandom and family feel synonymous. You feel connected to those around you who are cheering alongside you, and you feel a part of the team or an extension of the energy surrounding the player. The excitement surges from game to game or event,  but your identity as a fan seems constant. Sometimes, it is ingrained so deeply that even during a long drought, you remain consistent in your devotion, waiting for “our time.” In fandom, there is identity, community, and unity. In this, I think we can distill some spiritual truths.

In Philippians, Paul champions the way of Christ by telling us that, “to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). In the broader context his aim is to push us towards Christlikeness. In Philippians 2:2 he tells us to be “… of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” On the surface this would be true of any legitimate fan base. As a fan, the aim is participation towards the team whereas, in Philippians, Paul is urging participation towards the Lordship of Christ. The same values are present – unity, love, and engagement. The difference is that as a fan my identity is in the team I am cheering for. As a Christian, my identity is in Christ. Where the team will fail, Christ never does! We do not want to press the analogy too deep.

There are some ways in which fandom can become fanatical. But while fandom can sometimes become tribal, trivial, or idolatrous, it often reflects the same search for truth and beauty that we find in Christianity. The point then is not whether fandom and spirituality can coexist, but how they can illuminate one another.

In fandom we encounter communities, passions, and narratives that resonate with our deepest longings—longings for meaning, purpose, and connection. These are not inherently non-spiritual desires but deeply held yearnings that echo our spiritual needs. Rather than seeing fandom as opposed to spirituality, we might begin to see it as a place where people are searching for something transcendent. In this way fandom can become a bridge to understanding deeper spiritual truths and help us in our pursuit of the way of Christ.

Photo retrieved from Unsplash