Religion: Spiritual wisdom from March Madness

March Madness: the one month of the year when people suddenly develop strong opinions about obscure college basketball teams they’ve never watched before. But March Madness isn’t just a bunch of upsets and slam dunks—there are also some spiritual truths in all the action. Below are four spiritual lessons we can draw from the chaos on the courts.

Faith can topple giants

One of the best parts of March Madness is watching a tiny, no-name school knock off some basketball powerhouse. Most years, we get a new Cinderella story—a scrappy underdog that somehow takes down a top-seeded giant. It’s basically the modern sports version of David and Goliath.

In 1 Samuel 17, David defeats Goliath not because he’s the strongest, but because he has faith. And in March Madness, it’s not always the tallest or flashiest team that wins—it’s often the team with heart, grit and belief in something bigger than themselves. 

Just like David, these underdog teams show us that, with faith, even the biggest challenges can be overcome. If you don’t believe me, only a couple of years ago, Fairleigh Dickinson University, a small school in New Jersey beat the powerhouse of Purdue 63-58. It was only the second time a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament history!

Perseverance wins championships (and builds character)

No team reaches the Final Four without enduring some adversity. Whether it’s bouncing back from a 15-point deficit or surviving double overtime, the best teams push through the tough moments. This echoes the message in James 1:2-3: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

Perseverance is not built in a single moment or one tournament, but rather, regular daily practices. When I think of the zillions of hours that parents, coaches and volunteers have put into getting these players to this national tournament, I wonder what practicing that level of dedication to spiritual perseverance would produce in our society today.

The importance of teamwork and humility

While gifted athletes and individual stars are celebrated, March Madness proves that no player can win a championship alone. Successful teams are those that look for each other on the court, play smart and sacrifice personal glory for team triumphs. 

This reflects the truth found in 1 Corinthians 12, which describes the body of Christ as made up of many parts, each with a unique role but united in purpose.

Worldly glory fades (but the memes last forever)

Every March Madness ends the same way: with one team cutting down the nets in triumph. But give it a month or two, and the glory starts to fade. Last year’s champions become this year’s ESPN factoid, and the race to win starts all over again. 

It’s a great reminder that worldly success is fleeting. Championships, trophies and ESPN highlights are great, but they don’t last forever.

What does? Love, kindness, and maybe that hilarious meme of the coach’s meltdown on the sidelines. As 1 Peter 1:24 says, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall.” 

Trophies tarnish and ribbons fade, but the love of others is not soon forgotten.

Final score

So, as you cheer on your team or cry because they lost, take a moment to reflect on the lessons hidden in the madness and let it be a reminder of deeper spiritual truths. And if all else fails, remember, there’s always next year’s bracket.

Trevor Van Laar is a Pastor at Gilroy and San Martin Presbyterian Churches. He is a member of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance and can be reached at tr****@gi********.org.

-PAID ADVERTISEMENT-

Featured Local Savings