Fútbol

I’ve never been a fan of soccer. Sure, there were the Purple People Eaters of ’93 who wreaked havoc on the field and ended up with an undefeated season, but I’m not 100% sure how much of that I had to do with my excellent athleticism. I sat on the bench of the all boys and plus me team most of the time and when I did go in by some fluke, I came right back out after flaunting my ability flawlessly I’m sure. I was so amassing the coach never let me play because she didn’t want me to show up the other players, obviously.
I got to experience my first fútbol game Domingo. At first, it was totally the same as soccer and then it was totally different than soccer. Olympia vs Marathon marked the game before finals. Winner moves on. Let me set this up for you the best way I know how.
Horns, cervesas, Olympia shirts lining the stadium, drums, chants that never stopped, signs
The entire first half and the 3/4s of the last were calm and then:
GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me set this up for you the best way I know how.
Pandemonium.
Deafening horns blew. Fireworks (in the seats where hundreds of people stood, not above the stadium) went off. Cervesas were thrown over the heads of everyone in the crowd drenching men women and children. Almost every man immediately lost his shirt and began to swing it over his head. Chants (mostly profanities). Police protecting players and refs from each other. Jumping, dancing, swearing, standing, sitting, yelling, running, climbing fences, and walls... and all because a plastic ball went into a net. Don’t get me wrong. The energy was awesome! It was like nothing i’ve felt before, how quickly it went from off to on. But they love a ball... going into a net...
So it got me thinking... What can I do to make sure that people get that excited about Jesus. I think when he comes we should celebrate in the same way (minus the words that caused my Spanish vocabulary to be extended). But why not celebrate?! What can I do to be an example. The Bible tells us to rejoice and be glad in Him. Shout to the Lord! let the earth and everything in in break forth! Sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.
The stark reality is though, if there were a stadium full of people singing and shouting because the Lord was coming we would be made fun of and ridiculed... But it’s ok to go crazy when a ball goes in a net.,, What twisted mind we have. So I’m going to do it anyways. WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO! JESUS IS COMING!!!!!!!! better than GOOALLL any day!


Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. -Psalm 98:4