As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.

As a product of the south suburbs of Chicago, for the better part of the past four decades I’ve been a Chicago Bears fan.

But as someone who missed the legendary 1985 Bears season (I was only a glimmer in my mother’s eye), much of my Bears fandom has been marked by false hope, false belief, and false starts, both figuratively and, because of the Bears’ historically patched-together offensive lines, literally.

Aside from the 2006 season, when the Bears made it to the Super Bowl; the 2010 season, when they made it to the NFC Championship Game (both of which they lost); and the 2018 season, when they went 12-4 and seemed to have something going, only for it to end with Cody Parkey’s infamous “double-doink” missed field goal in the first round of the playoffs, the Bears haven’t done much of anything in the time I’ve been following them.

Until this past season.

This year, the Bears had their first winning record in seven years, their first division title in seven years, and their first playoff victory in 15 years. Along the way, they also proved they have a legitimate quarterback (Caleb Williams) for the first time in, well, ever; a legitimate coach (Ben Johnson), who might actually be able to sustain their success for more than a year; and a core group of young players who might just develop into the sort of stars that other teams always seem to have but the Bears always seem to miss out on.

So for the first time in a long time, the Bears have produced a season that inspires genuine confidence for those of us who call ourselves their fans.

And when you think about it like that (or, at least, when I do), being a Christian is a bit like being a Bears fan.

Inspired by the Past

First, because of their mediocrity, most Bears fans have, at least for the past couple of decades, had to content ourselves with celebrating the Bears’ past rather than their present.

For instance, most Bears fans these days look longingly back at the 1980s, when, like I referenced earlier, the Bears won multiple division titles, made it to three NFC Championship games, and even won the Super Bowl after the 1985 season. They also boasted the legendary Mike Ditka as their coach; hall-of-fame players like Walter Payton, Jim Covert, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, Mike Singletary, and others; and an almost perfect season that brought them only one win away from being the second-ever undefeated team in NFL history.

You can go back even further in the Bears’ history and talk about their founder, player, and original coach, George Halas; their revolution of the passing game with Sid Luckman in the 1940s, and their other notable hall-of-famers like Red Grange, Paddy Driscoll, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, and more.

The point is that we Bears fans have often had to inspire ourselves as much by the Bears’ past as by the present, and, given their recent lack of success, that’s part of what helps us sustain our love for them and keep us cheering them on.

Hoping for the Future

Like other sports fans, though, we also look ahead. And that’s because, even though the Bears have been mired in mediocrity for much of the past 40 years, we still hope for the future.

After all, that’s what makes a fan a fan, right? No matter how bad a fan’s team is, no matter how much they lose, and no matter how many seasons end in disappointment, true fans keep coming back, keep hoping, and keep believing that someday, some year, some season, their team will win it all.

And Bears fans are no different. As much as present reality sometimes militates against it, we Bears fans keep hoping for the future, keep looking ahead, and keep trusting that eventually (“Next year!”) the Bears will go all the way, put it all together, and win the Super Bowl.

Riding the Roller Coaster

In the meantime, though, we ride the roller coaster.

We go through the ups and downs.

We hang on through the twists and turns.

We’re inspired by the past, hopeful for the future, and confident that someday, some year, some season (again, “Next Year!”) we’ll get to see everything we’ve so patiently been waiting for. But the truth is that we don’t know exactly how it’ll all play out.

Like Being a Bears Fan

And, again, when you think about it like that, that’s a bit what being a Christian is like too, right? It’s like being a Bears fan.

After all, as Christians, we’re inspired by the past too. That’s because we’re inspired by the people, the situations, the circumstances, and the things God has done, both in Scripture and throughout Church history.

We’re people of hope too, because we look ahead, look forward, and remain confident in what we believe, even if we can’t see it yet.

And, as a result, we’re people who ride the roller coaster as well, going through the ups and downs, twists and turns, and stops and starts of the Christian faith.

Like Being a Christian

And yet, there are some differences between being a Christian and a Bears fan.

First, as Christians, we’re not just inspired by the past, but actually empowered by it. As the author of Hebrews puts it in Hebrews 12, referencing the saints who have gone before us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb. 12:1-3).

Second, while our hope as Bears fans is tenuous, based on human effort and performance and, therefore, prone to failure, our hope as Christians is sure, certain, and guaranteed. As the Apostle Paul writes, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:19-20, 57).

And, finally, while Bears fans are spectators, content to watch the game and ride the roller coaster of being a fan, as Christians, we’re actually drafted onto the team, called to get off the bench, and commissioned by Christ himself to get in the game. As Jesus says at the end of the Gospel of Matthew: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:18b-20).

So, yes, there are some similarities between being a Bears fan and a Christian. There are some aspects of our faith that are a bit like rooting for them. And there are some parts of being a Christian that are a bit like supporting the Bears (or whatever other favorite sports team you happen to support).

But, maybe when you really think about it, it’s actually the other way around. Maybe it would be better to put it the other way. Because maybe being a Bears fan is actually a bit like being a Christian instead.