I Don’t Get the World Cup
I’m not really a sports guy. I’ll attempt to play almost anything, and enjoy an occasional day at the ballpark. But I can think of a million things I’d rather do than spend two hours watching a game.
Not surprisingly, I’m even less interested than the average American in the world’s most popular tournament.
The other day at work, I witnessed two friends watching a game. One was clueless, and asked a series of questions about how the tournament worked and the rules of the game. Now, he has something new that he enjoys, and the bond between them has grown.
My attitude is a far cry from that of Jesus, who was born poor and spent thirty years as an average Jew and manual laborer. This earned him the credibility for three years of meaningful ministry.
I might not get the World Cup, but I do claim to care about my co-workers and neighbors. Doing so means learning to express interest in what they love and care about join them in that, and celebrate with them.
In the center of the ongoing conversation of what it means to be “missional” is the concept of being incarnational. Basically, what does it mean to live like Christ in our culture. The key to incarnation is answering two questions. First, what did Jesus do while he was incarnated? Second, are we doing those things today?
