The other day a colleague asked me if I was “ready for the football”. After some lengthy and serious enquiring, I realised that the World Cup is on again. Of course, I should have guessed, what with all those cars bearing St George’s Cross suddenly, and the “Come on, England” posters littering the streets. Actually, I thought the flags were there to designate bad drivers and people of questionable intelligence – but hey, that’s just me and I’m weird like that.

I suppose I should be careful here. I wouldn’t want to offend others’ religion, and clearly this is the equivalent of Christmas or Easter for the Footballians.

Personally, I couldn’t care less about wasting my time watching 22 grown men kick a piece of pigskin around. But I wonder at what a sad comment it is on a society that rewards these sweaty guys three or four or ten times more than people who actually keep that society together. What does it say when “entertainment” is valued more highly than saving human lives, safety, security, and medication?

Not much we’d like to hear, that’s for sure. Because the obsession of football – just like fashion, TV, money, career, knowledge, sex – does nothing more than reflect that big empty hole that all people are born with and just can’t be filled with anything but a close relationship with God.

Think about that the next time a sweaty man strikes a goal.

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. – Romans 1:22-25

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:25-30

[Jesus Christ] was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:9-13