Boma, Sudan
The Ghana game hurt. Ouch. We watched the match at a friend’s home in Nairobi. When it was all over, I looked at Shelvis and said, “I have a headache,” to which Shelvis responded, “My stomach hurts.” Perhaps we were watching with too much intensity, but we knew that Ghana was the “last hope” for Africa in the world cup. They were the youngest team in the tournament, and if they won, they would be the first African team ever in the semi-finals of a world cup. Their opportunity to win seemed stolen when a player from Uruguay used his hands to block a goal in the last seconds of overtime. The game was decided in penalty kicks, Ghana lost.
Even with such painful moments, I love watching the World Cup. Soccer unites the world in a unique way. I love it when a response to a goal is shown all over the world. A group of people jump up, shouting at a stadium in Europe, in a town square in South America, a restaurant in Japan… all over the world. When I left Sudan, the youth I play soccer with there were devising a plan of how they could watch the games, without a television. (I will let you know the result once I return to Sudan).
The international connection I feel watching the world cup came to mind in a different way as I sat in church in Kenya on Sunday. July is the coldest part of the year here and there is not heat in the church. As a cold breeze whisked through the sanctuary’s window crossing my face and sending shivers through my body, my experience of going to church in Bolivia, South America came to mind. An image of my beautiful friends in El Alto, wrapped in the warmest clothes possible, sitting on wooden benches in Iglesia Immanuel in the Andes Mountains, brought a huge smile to my face. The World Cup unites us around a passion for “football,” but there is a way that God unites us that is even more exciting. People are worshipping God even in places where there is no TV to watch a match.
The spiritual connection we share with people around the world was evident to us as we lead worship for high school students in Montreat, North Carolina in June. Shelvis and I enjoyed the opportunity to preach together, to serve communion together for the first time, and to be inspired by young people of faith with great passion. Through video, I introduced the youth at Montreat to the youth from the Church in Boma, Sudan. I shared a short clip of the Sudanese youth singing and dancing in church, and Shelvis recorded the response of the American teenagers to the video. (To view their response click here). The Montreat youth were encouraged by the faith of their African sisters and brothers, and I can’t wait to show the youth in Sudan how their worship strengthened young people in America. 
The passion exhibited in the World Cup is inspiring, and it reminds me of the passion shared by people all over the world who are committed to serving God, to fighting injustice, to seeking hope in the midst of tragedy, and to uplifting a neighbor in their time of need. As people of faith, we are not striving and struggling towards our goals alone. We are part of a global team, who can encourage us when we are tired. Therefore, let us press on, with great passion and commitment, in the journey to which God has called us.
Posted on July 7th, 2010 by Nancy
Filed under: Uncategorized