Soccer and Life

Soccer, in my opinion, it best represents life’s struggle between chaos and order, between pandemonium and what in the NT Greek is “telos”. 

A top soccer club has to have great organization, and players need to have a strong base of fundamental skills. But it’s the teams and players that are creative and thrive in chaos/ randomness that win game after game and finally the championships.

I’ve watched on Youtube a game in the English Premier league, a regular season game: Arsenal vs Norwich City, back in 2013. Arsenal’s on the attack, and Norwich has eight men back defending. A midfield named Cazorla slots a pass to the French player Giroud, who flicks it over to Jack Wilshere, who flicks it back to Giroud, who one-times it forward to Wilshere, who finishes. There were seven perfect passes in a row. Perfect creativity amid chaos and randomness, just pure beauty. All about being part of the team and helping the team. I just don’t see that in any other sport.

I don’t mind other sports, but they all have their issues in this area of creativity and team vs. individual. For example, baseball - it seems way too dependent on traditions and statistics with little opportunity for creativity. The spectators can almost predict every situation. 

I’ve watched only a couple of live baseball games and I was bored to death. Football is more spectacular but still plagued by these too frequent interruptions. Not even counting the fact that the coach tells the players what and when to do - if they suppose to use the #5C or #3B scheme at any given moment. Disclaimer - I do not want to offend any football fan. '

While soccer has to rely on a general shape and a team philosophy, the best teams operate freely inside of those structures. 

And this is a good illustration of our lives playing for a team called church. The Coach is there to motivate its players and the players are using their talents, energy and strong bond that unites the team for victory.