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Let me be blunt: I do not particularly enjoy watching the sport of soccer as I simply find it difficult.
Make no mistake, I am immensely impressed with many attributes that soccer players must display on the field of play. The athleticism, eye-foot coordination and endurance that they exude far exceed that of many other types of athletes. The "team" concept that soccer embodies is greater than most sports. And the dedication to training and preparation that goes into playing the game at an elite level is beyond impressive.
But there is one aspect of the game that makes it unbearable for me and literally ruins an entire game in my opinion. One aspect above all others that completely turns me off to an entire sport. No, it is not the fact that there is little to no scoring or that sometimes the games can end in a tie. It is not even the soccer fans who insist their sport is the best just because it is so popular across the rest of the world that I could truly care less about.
It is this: The flops. The fake injuries. The diving. The accentuated falling to the ground to try and draw a penalty or card on the other team. The getting tripped on the right leg and grabbing the left knee and writhing about as though the lower leg has been dismembered by a grizzly bear. It is the doing all of this and then miraculously arising seconds later to a limp that rapidly becomes a jog and shortly after that becomes a sprint to the ball and kick to a teammate because we all know the truth -- they were never hurt in the first place.
And I cannot stand watching it. It ruins the "beautiful" in the beautiful game. It takes any and all flow away from the sport. It forces the officials to make a split second determination on what really happened and what didn't. And it greatly cheapens the game.
But it has become part of the fabric of the game. To succeed in this game you have to do it. If you play through rough contact instead of taking a fall, you will more than likely get the ball taken away and place your team in a compromising situation. If you fall down you will be praised for taking the penalty, improving field position and giving your team an opportunity to maneuver from a set piece. Flopping and acting hurt is now part of the game of soccer, like it or not.
What about church? How many in your church are faking it to an extent? How many claim to follow Jesus with their words, but reject Him with their actions? How many put on a good show on Sunday mornings, only to live for themselves and their pleasure during the rest of the week? How many could care less about the plight of their fellowman as long as their comfort level is secure? How many care too much about their personal level of recognition and less about that of Christ?
This was an issue with the Pharisees and teachers of the law during the days of Jesus' time on earth and he had some strong words for them.
Matthew 23:25-26 states "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will be clean."
It was the religious leaders who espoused a fake religion because it was all about looks and perceptions for them. And to remain in power, they would place undue burdens on others while ignoring the mandates for themselves. This fostered an unattainable image of what it is to follow God that pervades many churches to this very day.
What if the church was open and authentic with their often imperfect faith in Christ? What if followers of Jesus realized that the church is a hospital for sinners and not a country club for saints? What if we confessed to one another the shortcomings, questions and hesitations in our faith instead of trying to pretend and fake our way out the other side for a couple of hours every Sunday morning? My guess is that our faith would become genuinely authentic and far more appealing to those who question belief in Jesus than a blind obedience would be. And it would grant us a life that is lived the way God designed and intended -- life to the fullest.
Life full of gratitude, authenticity, love for God and man and a heart bent to the service of others while speaking and living a saturation of the gospel message in our world. Life that is truly life!
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Rev. Scott Garman, pastor of Cedar Heights Brethren in Christ Church in Mill Hall.