Our son attends the University of Texas, and my wife is a member the UT parents’ Facebook group. A few weeks ago, she floated a request for tickets to the Oklahoma vs. Texas football game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. An extremely generous UT parent offered her two free tickets. Amazing! 

The Cotton Bowl is a neutral site, so one side of the stadium was decked out in burnt orange. The other side, a sea of OU red. Even though our son goes to UT, I’ve been an OU football fan since 1978. I’ve tried to root for UT for my son, but my heart won’t let me. My dilemma? Our seats were on the UT side. Whose colors to wear?

My wife forbade me from wearing red. She didn’t want UT fans to harass us all game. To be honest, I didn’t want to deal with drunken hecklers either. So, I went to the game wearing burnt orange, but bleeding OU red on the inside. I felt like a fraud the entire game. I was an undercover OU fan posing as a UT fan. 

I tell you this sad story because Christians face the same choices. It’s easier to blend in with culture than to make waves. If we defend Biblical truth we’ll face antagonism as surely as I would have by wearing the OU colors on the UT side. What should we do?

1 Peter 4:14 says, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” Christians shouldn’t fear ridicule from others. It’s far worse to be ashamed of Jesus than to worry about what others might say. Discipleship means following Jesus no matter the cost. When He comes again, we will rejoice with Him as we share in His victory. 

Back to the game: UT led 38-20 at halftime. Their fans rejoiced, mocking the few OU fans courageous enough to wear red in their section. By fitting in, I avoided their scorn. OU mounted a furious second half comeback and won 55-48. I enjoyed it, but not like I would have sitting in the OU section. I wanted to celebrate with the OU fans, but I wasn’t dressed for the part. 

The moral of the story is, don’t be an undercover agent for Jesus. Wearing the UT colors at the game, I only denied my allegiance to a team. I should have worn red, but it's just a football game, and I’ll never have to face OU to explain myself. But I will have to face Jesus one day. I don’t want to feel like a hypocrite when I stand before Him. I’m on his side and I want the world to know it. I want to celebrate with Him and His followers when He returns, and have Him say to me, “Well done good and faithful servant.”