The Madness Returns
The Madness is back! Basketball fans are in the height of their glory, as the annual NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket has been unveiled. The four regional #1 seeds belong to Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and Florida, but as always, it now simply comes down to “win and advance” with the champion to be crowned on April 6, 2026 in Indianapolis, IN.
Analysis and eternal perspective: The men’s NCAA basketball tournament has become synonymous with the phrase “March Madness,” though the women’s NCAA championship and the high school state tournaments around the country certainly contribute to the basketball euphoria (or devastation, if your team gets eliminated) in March.
For as long as I can remember, paper brackets have been a mainstay in the Bennett household in March, and the online extended family bracket challenge is now in full swing. Our oldest son, Jude, is on a mission to upend Papa Bennett’s effort to defend his title from last year. Meanwhile, we all cheer for our Illini to regain their midseason form and make a run to Indy!
What about you? Does the Madness infect you? Is basketball your thing? I’d love to hear your bracket predictions (everyone but Penn fans are welcome to send thoughts or predictions to theequippednewsletter@gmail.com). While only one fanbase will be happy in the end, it is a great chance to enjoy community and good-natured rivalry!
It is also a great opportunity to reflect on what “things” are regular traditions in your home. March Madness brackets are great fun, but what if we all invoked the power of scripture in an equally visible way? The invitation in Deut. 6:6-9 is beautiful and powerful:
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
You can’t walk through our house during March without seeing a bracket. But you know what? You can’t ever walk through it without seeing scripture!
Write His promises on your doorposts! Literally, do it! Post His Word and His promises as physical reminders for your day-to-day and moment-to-moment. It is one of the very best ways to stand on peace in a world of madness!
The preceding article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.