Finding my religion: turning to soccer to find God
What does religion mean to you?
Is religion part of your culture, something you grew into? Or is religion something that was brought into your life by an outside source?
This week in class we explored the importance of religion and the church in Africa through a problem of presence: beyond Scripture in an African church by Matthew Engelke.
Engelke first tells the story of a man who was an alcoholic, and found structure and guidance through God by “smoking his way through the bible”. He then goes on to tell the stories of six other portraits and how the bible has in turn, significantly impacted each one of them.
While reading through how religion has impacted these people, I couldn’t help but think about how relatable it is to soccer culture around the globe; how players and supporters alike view soccer almost as a religion, the athletes as god-like figures, and for many even, by using soccer as a way to find their God.
Traditionally, when someone goes to pray, or to connect with their God, they would go to a house of worship or a private setting in their home to share in a moment with their God or to meet with others who are also looking to God for guidance.
For many sports enthusiasts, they find sanctity in an empty pitch or comfort in strangers in a stadium with whom they share this unique bond. For some, soccer is their saving grace, for others, it is a way to thank their God for their skills and for the life they were given. Whether they are using soccer as an escape in the slums of Brazil, or publicly praising their God after scoring a goal in the World Cup, soccer and religion share a close and unique relationship. As it was for the portraits in Engelke’s book, it is different for each and every person.
