Finding unity in diversity: A pastor’s World Cup reflections
OK! I admit it! I am a proud American. I don’t just listen to the national anthem when it is sung at sporting events, I sing along. I religiously fly “the Stars and Stripes” on every national holiday. In addition, my closet has an array of patriotic apparel for such occasions.
What a blast it has been dressing up to cheer on our team in the World Cup and to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday. Seeing others wearing their flag sweaters and USA jerseys prompted the realization that the spirit of patriotism is alive and well in spite of the issues that divide us. It is as though we have been celebrating a family reunion the past few weeks.
Watching the World Cup has also brought into focus that the United States is only one of the nations that comprise our global community. Did you notice the soccer players from around the world singing their country’s anthem with passion and gusto? It is obvious how much they love the nations they represent.
The World Cup also has served as a reminder that the typical family reunion in America includes those whose original team colors are other than red, white and blue. We are a nation of immigrants who continue to embrace our ethnic past with gratitude and pride. As a result, the typical American family will have more teams to cheer on in the World Cup than simply the “home team.”
That’s certainly true for our family. My mom was 100% Norwegian. My dad was half-Greek. My wife was born in Canada and raised in Mexico. One of our daughters met her future husband in Ecuador. Our three sons-in-law have also extended the borders of our family unit. One was raised in Brazil. Another traces his roots to Puerto Rico. And the third is half-Swedish and half-native Alaskan. In addition, my wife and I recently served a congregation in Switzerland.
As you might imagine, our eclectic ethnic identity finds us supporting the teams where we have cousins and connections. We recognize that in a very real way we are related to them. We are family with those who speak different languages and observe different customs. There are numerous points of contact and shared history.
I’m grateful for the World Cup. Much like the Olympics, this international soccer tournament reminds us every four years that the planet we inhabit extends beyond our personal sphere of influence. That it’s a planet populated by people made in the image of their Creator. That it’s a planet of people with whom God desires a relationship. That it’s a planet visited by that same God when He came to us as one of us to embody and demonstrate His love.
When I was a little kid in Sunday school, we would sing “Jesus loves the children, all the children of the world. Red, brown, yellow, black and white, they’re all precious in His sight …” We also sang, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” At a tender age, I was introduced to the powerful truth that God has no favorites. Our Heavenly Father loves all His children the same. Every single one of them matters to Him.
While I am a proud patriotic American, I need to be reminded from time to time of the words of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I also need to be reminded as a Jesus-follower to check my passport occasionally to see where my ultimate citizenship is based. And it is not in the United States of America.
Last month, I took public transportation to downtown Seattle to experience the ambiance of the World Cup. It was the day the United States played Paraguay. The crowds were beyond description. The vibe was palpable.
It was a visual of the world coming together much like we read about in the last book of the Bible where Heaven is pictured. Even though I didn’t have a ticket to the match, I stood and drank in the scene. It was a three-dimensional mural of humanity. A world God loves!
• The Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos is a former Naperville resident who writes about faith and family.