What the World Cup Taught Me About the Kingdom of God
Very early in anyone’s journey in faith, they hear Jesus telling his disciples to go out and make disciples of all the nations and baptize them (Matthew 28:19-20). Why did Jesus find it important to say this, to give us the great commission of going out into the world to preach his gospel? Everyone in the world lives in some sort of community, so why can’t we just do this mission work in our own backyard?
I hear this question almost like clockwork before each of my overseas mission trips. People point out that we have kids and poverty here in the United States, so why would I need to go halfway around the world to help others? I do think it’s important to help our own communities. But I also believe there is something special about stepping outside your comfort zone to do this work. If we only operate in our faith when it’s comfortable or convenient, we will never grow it. The news tells us the world is broken and falling apart. Every time we open our social media or turn on the news, we hear about death, disease, mass shootings, childhood poverty, and the list goes on. However, we can change the perspective of the world through mission work, serving others, and seeing people through the eyes of Jesus.
You don’t have to leave the country to see that kind of mission at work, though. Sometimes it shows up right on your doorstep. One of the most encouraging things I’ve seen recently is fans coming together at the World Cup. From the outside looking in, it can be hard to see how watching football relates to what we do on mission trips, but I want to show you how similar they really are.
One of the easiest ways to see God, to see Jesus, is through the fruits of the Spirit. When Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, he talked about our flesh and our spirit, that if we start things in the flesh, they end in the flesh, but if we start things in the spirit, they end in the spirit. It is by the Spirit that people see Jesus (Galatians 5). Paul names these fruits: love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. At our core, we are filled with God’s Spirit, and even when we don’t notice it, it’s there. We are built in his image, and there are moments in life when this goodness and love can’t help but pour out of us.
I’m not one to believe everything I see on social media, but I can’t help noticing all the stories from football fans around the world who have come to the United States and are in awe of what they’ve found here. Headline after headline says the same thing: they’d been lied to. Lied to about the dangers in America, about the current climate of our country, about how it’s supposedly nothing like it used to be. Instead, story after story shows Americans welcoming fans from other nations with open arms. People who spent their life savings on tickets and travel, arriving with nothing but a hope that they’d be taken care of, and they are. We’re often told our nation is full of division and hate, but what’s emerging instead are stories of football fans from all over the world coming together and sharing a common experience through sport.
As I watched these stories surface, I couldn’t help but see that God is at work in our world, healing not only the United States but all nations. Because let’s not forget: the kingdom of God is for ALL people. Everyone is created in his image, and everyone, through the love of Jesus Christ, has a place in God’s kingdom.
Below, I’ve included links to social media posts that show what God is currently doing through a sporting event. As you watch them, see if you can spot joy in one, patience in another, kindness in a third, the fruits of the Spirit showing up in places you might not expect. My prayer is that you start seeing people who are different from you through the eyes of God, and that, in doing so, you’ll see some of the healing that’s taking place right now.
TikTok Video #1 – Fans coming together
TikTok Video #2 – Japan fans cleaning stadium
TikTok Video #3 – Japan fan shown hospitality by US fan
TikTok Video #4 – Norway row taking over the streets
Instagram Video #5 – Renaldo welcoming his fans
Instagram Video #6 – Cabo Verde national pride
TikTok Video #7 – Lawrence Kansas welcoming Team Algeria
God isn’t only found on Sunday morning at church, he’s all around us, if we just stop to look. And that’s the easiest place to start: our own communities, the people right around us. In the days ahead, pay attention to what your neighbors are doing, and what your family is doing. Then ask yourself how you can carry these same fruits of the Spirit into your own life, and let them be how you share the Gospel.