"One Game [Man] Changes Everything"

As the official slogan for the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, "One Game Changes Everything" represents how much enthusiasm the world has placed into an amazing game. Commercials for the World Cup show babies being named after favorite soccer heroes. Statues are built to memorialize the greats. In the news, it is common to hear reports of crazed fans rioting and even killing each other over the outcome of a game. No matter what you're personal feelings are about soccer, you cannot deny the level of passion involved.

The World Cup has once again captured the world's attention. Even the United States has followed the tournament this year with enthusiasm. I believe there are two underlying reasons why the game has captured our attention like never before.

First, the world is longing for hope. We don't get hope from the news reports of everyday life. Instead of hope, our normal days are filled with fear and anxiety. What is causing audiences to be rapt with awe with the World Cup is what took the nation by storm in the last presidential election. In the midst of the usual, depressing spin of life, people found something that looked like "hope". Real or not, hope is contagious.

Second, the World Cup, along with the Olympics, is one of the few regular events that brings the nations together to perform on one stage. The diversity of color and culture speaks to a longing inside each of us that yearns for unity and peace. This canvas of international flavor rightfully inspires us.

Beyond the beauty of the sport, the World Cup presents to us two realities that capture the hearts and minds of every person: hope and unity among the nations. However, even as the World Cup points to these truths, the hope and unity it presents is not complete or final. This hope and unity ultimately points to the hope and unity found in Jesus Christ alone.

"Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God," (Rom 5:1-2).

Not only is the hope we all long for ultimately found in Christ, but the inner longing we each experience when we witness gatherings of people from across the globe such as the World Cup are rooted in God's purpose of bringing people from all nations to form a people for His son.

"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth,'" (Rev 5:9-10).

While the marketing team behind the ads for the World Cup suggests that "One Game Changes Everything",  one can appreciate how this game points to the great truths that we as a people long for hope and to be united with others from every nation; however, the game of soccer fails to ultimately fulfill those longings.

These longings are not satisfied by a mere game but are fulfilled by the One Man Who Changes Everything.  "For God was pleased to have his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross," (Col 1:19-20).