The list is endless:
Boxing Day Test – With crowds of over 90 000, plus a worldwide TV audience, the Boxing Day Test is a must for Aussie sporting fans.
State of Origin – State versus state, and mate versus mate. State of Origin never fails to deliver the best Rugby League in the world with a passion that only Aussies understand.
AFL / NRL Grand Final – The major winter sports focus on these two, and the finals are the culmination of a season of hard work for the teams.
Olympics – The birthplace for champions such as Cathy Freeman and Murray Rose – not a regular on the Aussie sporting calendar, but the two times Australia has hosted the Olympics (1956, 2000) it has been the greatest show that year.
Australian Open Tennis & F1 Grand Prix – Melbourne is the stage for these international events.
Bell's Beach Surfing & Stawell Gift– The grand heritage of these events has assured them a special place in Australian sporting culture.
Bledisloe Cup Rugby Union & Australia vs NZ Netball (or anything against NZ) – These events always bring out competitive spirit in both teams.
Melbourne Cup – The race that stops the nation.
What others can you think of?
The Greatest Event – EVER
In a nation where sport is life, it is interesting to reflect on what the Bible has to say about the greatest ever event. Our sporting culture places a huge emphasis on achievement: what you have done or what your performance is like.
The Christian faith, in contrast, is not about our performance but what Jesus has done (past tense) on the cross.
That one performance 2000 years ago secures Christians' identity in eternity. 1 Peter 2: 5 describes Christians as living stones and precious to God. Paul, in many of his letters, describes Christians as "saints" and dearly loved by God through Jesus.
A Christian's identity finds its core in this event. In short, it is all about Jesus great performance on the cross and not ours. The certain hope Christians have is due to the greatest event in history: the death & resurrection of Jesus. Because of that event, nothing can separate them from God's love in Jesus (Romans 8).
Jeremy is a former sport scientist, now chaplain & pastor.
Jeremy Dover's archive of articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover.html