A World Cup experience
The World Cup wrapped up in July after Canada, Mexico, and the United States hosted teams from around the world for two months. During that time, my social media feed was filled with reels of people who shared their experience of coming to the US to cheer for their country’s soccer (or football, fußball, fútbol, futebol, calcio) team.
A number of people shared that they were nervous about the US because of media reports about crime and the citizens and the political climate. But they couldn’t believe just how different their experience was, and not just because we get free drink refills (and ice!) at restaurants.
Jack and Paige, a couple from Britain, spent forty-eight hours with a man from Oklahoma who introduced them to Jet Skiing, tubing, side-by-side off-road vehicles, new restaurants, and more. They went on to explore Texas, Arizona, and Georgia and documented it on social media.
One German fan started crying during a news interview because some Americans had given him a ride to his hotel in Boston. He said, “I fall in love with America. I’m sorry; it’s just so emotional. … Americans are not rude. … If we are together, we can achieve great things.”
If you are new to Christian culture
If you don’t know many Christians personally, you might feel an awful lot like those international travelers when it comes to talking about faith and worship and Jesus. If you’ve never been to church (or haven’t been in years), you might be hesitant about what kind of welcome you’ll get. You could be concerned about a language barrier because some of the words are unique to the Christian culture. I invite you to give it a try anyway. Don’t listen to what other people have to say; check it out for yourself. You might be surprised. We’ll even talk about free refills. There’s some poetry in the Bible that talks about all the good things that come from being in God’s family, and the writer says, “My cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5).
Caveat: Will every person you meet be great? Maybe not. Everyone has struggles and has room to get better at showing Jesus’s love to others. And maybe not every experience will be as exciting as a side-by-side UTV. But I invite you to keep trying, because God promises that when people who believe in Jesus come together, there’s unity, peace, joy, love, and community.
If you consider Christian culture “home”
If you already believe in Jesus, do what the citizens of the US did. Be an ambassador for your Christian community. Warmly welcome visitors and guests to our unique culture. Open your home and explain traditions. Help visitors learn and understand the message God has for them. It might not make the news or be documented on social media, but you will make a difference.
Want to learn more?
For more World Cup connections, check out the series Kickin’ It with Mike. And if you’d like to learn more about Christian culture and community (and feel like you need insight into some of the code words), check out Pastor Mike’s message series called Confusing Things Christians Say.
Linda Buxa is a writer and public speaker who traveled to Austria last fall. Her high school German classes kicked in as she deciphered some of the signs, and she was pretty proud she only had to say entschuldigung once.
