Soccer, as a whole and in my own life, got me thinking a lot lately. How can it compare to Jesus? Let me, if you will, chronicle my journey as a soccer fan. Then, I hope to parallel my walk into soccer culture with the walk of a follower of Jesus.
As all children do, I learned soccer at a young age, in P.E. and at home from my friends and family. I never played the game competitively, instead opting for baseball and basketball; a decision I now look back on with shame and sadness! Soccer was never much to me, I knew very little of the teams and leagues. I was more focused on the NFL and NBA than soccer, more on the Olympics than the World Cup.
In 2006, as a high school senior, I went on a mission trip with a group from my school to England, where we were to serve in a variety of ways with a community of Christians there. Details of that work aside, while we were in England, the English Premier League, or EPL, was closing in on the final stretches. A champion would soon be crowned, and we saw on a TV screen the standings of the top 7 teams or so. In our joyous attempt at learning a new culture, we each chose a team to follow. I picked Arsenal, a club with a cannon for a logo.
I became a fan of Arsenal soccer that day. I bought a jersey and wore it proudly. Though, I did not know much about them at all. The 2006 EPL season ended, and I moved on to my convenient American sports affiliations.
I wore my jersey on occasion, never really knowing anything about any players, coaches, games, or even any information at all. In 2010, the World Cup rolled around again. (Apparently I missed it in 2006.) This year, I was ready to watch. I knew very little about our USMNT, but I had one thing going for me then which I had never had before: a group of friends to watch the games with who were knowledgeable about soccer.
You see, I love sports. I really do. I was ready to follow Arsenal, the USMNT, and more, but I didn't have proper places and relationships to help my soccer-walk grow. The 2010 World Cup was an exciting one for me, as I was both new to the sport and the USMNT got out of the first round, losing in the second wave to Ghana, a team we finally claimed victory over in this year's 2014 World Cup.
The next year, I took it to the next level. I could tell you bits and pieces of soccer strategy, players names, and positions besides goalkeeper. I was brought up in my soccer ways by a mixture of a couple main things: proper relationships to grow and proper activities to learn and love the game. One of those main activities was a video game, which has become my favourite game the past few years, called FIFA.
FIFA is, of course, The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, and is thus the name chosen by EA Sports for their video game. This game became my soccer guidebook. I learned teams, players, formations, types of passes, and so much more. FIFA and the XBox taught me soccer, as I was guided by my soccer-knowing friends in the process.
Over the next couple years, I slowly grew closer to soccer. in 2012, my real breakthrough happened. I began watching Arsenal games on a regular basis. I would wake up at 6:00 am on a Saturday to watch games. I would play soccer every Saturday I could with my friends during the summertime and EPL offseason. I attended my first MLS game in Kansas City. Then, came the frosting on the cake: I joined the American Outlaws, the official supporter's group for the USMNT, the group who coined the chant, "I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN" and who have made it easier, fun, and more of a community to watch and support soccer in America with.
When my friends and I joined the American Outlaws, we dove in all the way to being soccer fans. And thus, we found ourselves not only loving soccer, but teaching others to do so as well. As you see above, The American Outlaws has an official, and the 100th, chapter in Wichita. It is growing mightily! Why does it grow? Because people follow it and love it together.
This year's World Cup has come and now remains with the last 4 teams. It has been an electric experience, watching all four USMNT games at the Fox & Hound with 500 people chanting and watching. I even got on local TV to give my thoughts on the game we ended up losing to Belgium!
Let's now get to the parallel I'm hoping we can glean: my individual growth as a soccer fan is not all that different from our growth as followers of Jesus. I knew about soccer my entire life, yet it wasn't until I had enjoyable and practical ways I was being actively involved with soccer that I truly knew what soccer was. Now, I am a full-fledged soccer fan. That happened not only because I knew about soccer, but because I had proper relationships and activities where I was able to grow closer to soccer.
As followers, disciples, of Jesus, we must have those things as well. Each of us need a community of people who deeply desire to follow Jesus. Yes, we can attend church, but that can't be it. Since when was going to church the exclusive activity of a follower of Jesus?! Actively live a life that follows Jesus. We must follow Jesus and follow him together.
For when I found myself learning about soccer from a video game paired with friends who knew the game, it is similarly crucial for us to spend time with the words of Jesus with others who do so as well. This walking with Jesus must both be an individual choice and desire and a community where can encourage, teach, and grow together; all closer to Jesus.
Apologies for the length of this writing, if you're still interested and have made it this far, that is. Here now are two verses which have taught me much about growing in Jesus. The first is the Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13, the second is an excerpt from Paul's letter to the Colossians, wherein he encourages this young church to pursue Jesus continually.
Matthew 13:1-9
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Colossians 1:9-10
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Grow closer to Jesus! Learn to love him, he is our King and Creator who is with us today. I pray that these words might encourage you to place yourself in proper relationships and proper activities to walk more closely with our King who serves and liberates us. His Kingdom is here, it triumphs over all.
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