In India cricket is a religion that consists of over a billion worshippers. Growing up in India in the 80’s and 90’s, I was one of those worshippers. Cricket was not just religiously played in the backyards and maidans of India, but it was also religiously followed on television.

The 1996 Cricket World Cup hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will forever be etched in my memory. On the day of the much-anticipated India vs Australia clash, our school principal sent us home early to be able to watch the game. The highlight of the game was the duel between arguably the best bowler in the world (Shane Warne) and the best batsmen in the world (Sachin Tendulkar).

We are all Worshippers

Such is the cricket following in India, that when the cricket gods don’t perform up to expectation, their worshippers feel let down by their gods. This was evident when the 90,000 plus spectators at Eden Gardens Calcutta brought the semifinal to an abrupt halt by peltering bottles onto the pitch and lighting fires in the stands. This was their response to their team being on the brink of defeat. Why such disappointment? Isn’t this just a game after all? Or is it a religion?

This isn’t true for just cricket mad worshippers, but football worshippers and those of every other sport. The same applies to movie stars, pop stars and politicians. The stadiums and TV sets are sanctuaries around which worshippers gather. National and team anthems are sung with fervor and gusto. The lives of sporting gods and various other celebrities are followed religiously on tabloids and news reports alike. In some way we feel very connected to our idols. They are elevated as gods and therefore when they come crashing down, our world comes crashing down too.

Early Indoctrination

I was taught to hold a bat and bowl a ball at a very young age. My aspiration was to be an allrounder. I remember being particularly proud of sending down a fast inswinger that shattered my dad’s stumps. I thought I was pretty good. Dad bought me the entire set of bat, ball, gloves, pads, and stumps. Playing cricket in the front yard was a frequent pastime. I still have that bat today, almost 35 years later.

I dreamt of representing India at international level. Somehow though I never made it past school level. I wanted to be like my idols, but I did not possess the skills or the ability to do so. I had to be content with front yard and school cricket, whilst still immersing myself in the cricket on TV. Those cricketers were living my dream for me. I was living my dream through them.

Emergence of a God

Shane Warne’s emergence onto the international stage changed the very face of cricket. Suddenly, every kid, including me, wanted to bowl leg-spin. He captivated the cricketing world like no cricketer I have ever known. His mastery of the hardest skill in cricket, his charismatic celebration of wickets fallen, his psychologizing the dismissal of every batsman he bowled to was a sight to behold. He had an aura about him that no cricketer has had before or since. We were all glued to the TV when he came on to bowl.

His mastery of the hardest skill in cricket, his charismatic celebration of wickets fallen, his psychologizing the dismissal of every batsman he bowled to was a sight to behold.

His magnetic personality drew many towards him. His knowledge and insight of the game has seemingly been unmatched since. It was a cricket brain that we wish we all had. He quickly became a god of the religion of cricket and has remained ever since. Like we do with all our idols, we tend to ignore their faults, flaws, and misdemeanors. We want to idolize them and secretly fantasize being like them. Warne went on to grow in popularity beyond the cricket scene. He truly was a celebrity in every sense of the word.

When our Idols Die

Shane Warne’s sudden death sent shockwaves around the world and not just in cricketing circles. He was only 52 when he passed. I felt such a sense of shock when I found out the news. The shock was followed by deep sadness. How could he have passed away so young? Surely a larger-than-life figure must go on to live forever. They could never die, could they?

For some reason his death continued to haunt me for the next week or so. I couldn’t figure out why. I was a big fan but why did I feel the sense of loss as if I knew him personally? I wasn’t the only one. The outpouring of grief was seen and felt around the world. From Prime Ministers to sport stars, rock stars to actors, the average cricket fan to non-cricket fans. Everyone seemed to be affected in some way.

Worshipping False Gods

We are all spiritual beings who have a soul and are housed in a body. Because we are spiritual beings, we are worshippers in some way or the other. We give our time, talent, and resources to people and things that we feel bring us some sense of joy, satisfaction, or fulfillment. These people or things are false gods because they aren’t truly able to save or rescue us from the brokenness, pain, and despair that we all suffer from. They give us glimpses of joy and pleasure and enable us to escape life’s troubles for brief moments, but that’s the extent of what they can do.

We give our time, talent, and resources to people and things that we feel bring us some sense of joy, satisfaction, or fulfillment.

Recently I was able to get away with my family for a few days. As I spent some time in prayer and solitude, Jesus Christ, the One true God began to show me why I was so affected by Shane Warne’s death. We would all like to believe that our idols will never die because they seem larger-than-life. We want them to live forever. They are supposed to live forever. How could Shane Warne die?

How Could God Die?

But the bigger question that I should be asking is “How could GOD die”? God is not supposed to die. He is eternal. I should be more grieved and feel more sadness at the death of Jesus Christ than at the death of Shane Warne. Everyone dies because everyone sins (Rom 6:23). But Jesus Christ died because he chose to do so. And in his death, he paid for the sins of the world, including your sin and my sin. He took on the judgement of God that I deserve so that I could be set free from God’s eternal punishment and live forever with him.

When we arrive at a place where we are truly able to grieve and mourn the death of Jesus on our behalf, we’ll then be able to rejoice in the life that we gain from his death. His death brough us eternal life. And for that we will be celebrating forever in Heaven.

When we arrive at a place where we are truly able to grieve and mourn the death of Jesus on our behalf, we’ll then be able to rejoice in the life that we gain from his death.

Tragically, Shane Warne died without believing in what Jesus did for him. Mark Nicholas, a close friend of his said that wherever Warne is now, he must be lighting up the stage. The one place that Warne isn’t in now, is the glorious presence of Jesus. His memory will live on for a long time, but tragically he is just another human being who has slipped away into eternity without being reconciled to his Creator.