Pilgrim Soldier

It is wonderful to get back to Latvia and get away from World Cup fervour!

Back in England it seems that whole communities have fallen into some sort of obsessive behaviour over England’s small chance of winning the World Cup. Every other shop seems to have England flags and other football related stuff filling its windows. Almost every pub in the country (well at least those I saw) was advertising how you could watch England matches live! Cars and houses are covered in flags, including some of both that have been painted to resemble the St George’s Cross of the English flag.

Now if you were to ask Zoe she would confirm that I love football, but all this was just so far over the top as to be almost comical!

The problem is though that it shows the underlying need in people for something to grasp hold of. We are created in God’s image and it has been said that we exist with a God-shaped hole in our lives. Even though they don’t know it people are trying to fill this hole in their lives but can’t because they are trying to fill it, in this instance with football. The problem of course is that football is not God and therefore is the wrong shape!

At the end of the World Cup people will be left disillusioned! Even if by some amazing fluke England win the World Cup ultimately the euphoria will die down and many people will be left with the same empty space deep down in their hearts, and will set off looking for the next thing they can fill it with.

Why is it that Jesus doesn’t come across as attractive a proposition as football and whatever else people use to substitute for Him? Maybe its the way that we advertise Him. All too often Christians look as if they are the “cat that lost the cream” rather than the recipients of a love that surpasses anything else the world has to offer!