As a way of celebrating two of my classes’ coursework being done, I went to the Yale-Harvard game with a friend today. One can’t park at the stadium, so one has to park somewhere downtown in New Haven and catch one of the many hired buses for the day that run between the Yale Bowl and the main college. Of course, I sported my Yale sweatshirt, and downtown was awash with navy blue Yalies and crimson-clad Hahvahd Yahd types. We all road the bus together, trading jibes. (Two old Harvard guys behind us in line said, “You realize they will let Harvard people on the bus first, don’t you?” I pointed to my “Yale Divinity School” sweatshirt and said, “Sorry: God is on OUR side.”)
Vanity, vanity, says the Teacher; all is vanity.
Specifically, it is VAIN to hope that, for just once in one’s life, one could go to a school that actually wins a football game. I was at Northwestern University during the infamous years of long losing streaks and never saw Northwestern win a football game. Today, I got excited as Yale went into the lead early in the 1st quarter with 10 points, then got bored as there were no touchdowns or field goals after that. A friend and I left the game early in the 4th quarter to avoid long bus lines. While we were riding back downtown, a student announced that someone had texted from the stadium to say that Harvard had just scored two touchdowns.
And so…my team lost again.
Vanity, vanity, the Teacher says; all is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 12:8)
But I did have a fun time sitting with a bunch of seminarians and doing The Wave. It turns out that Ivy League types are not quite clear on the Wave concept, so they have to try it about ten times before the fans get out of their heads and notice that a bunch of people around them are standing up and throwing their hands in the air.
Now that was not vain. That was great exercise.
Gospel on the Ground 