The subject of world peace and setting aside differences seems more prevalent at the Olympic Games and similar events than any Miss (insert anything here) Competitions. One of the key focuses of the Games is solidarity—togetherness, unity. The idea being sports and competition can bring together otherwise distant countries and ways of thinking. Peace, world peace, at least for a few weeks.
The idea of setting aside of differences through sports is pervasive hope; the NBA sported Latino style jerseys during their season; today MLB clubs will be wearing Negro League Jerseys; then there are movies such as Remember the Titans—based on actual events—and myriads of others which hope to unveil that sports are the medicine for aching rivalries. We see in sports the similarities in one another; the desires of our enemy are found in us; sports unmask the façade we have been seeing and expose the humanity in the other . . . well, humans.
But then you have other worldwide competitions: FIFA World Cup of Soccer; World Cup of Rugby, Cricket, etcetera. These events are more of a containment of rivalry attitudes, long enough at least to crown a winner. The on the field controversies are apparent and sometimes volatile between countries that hate each other.
So is sporting the hope for the cause of world peace? Do sports derail persistent and consistent counter ideologies existing now for centuries? Sport itself, it seems, often fumigates peace.
I hope to play sports as long as I can. I think sports are fun and good and can teach a lot, but sports will never bring ultimate peace to humanity. As Rocky Balboa in the movie Rocky IV said after his bout with the Russian: ‘During this fight, I've seen a lot of changing, in the way you feel about me, and in the way I feel about you. In here, there were two guys killing each other, but I guess that's better than twenty million. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!’ Change we may, but not enough; never enough.
If we look to sports or literature or dialogue or anything for ultimate peace we will always be disappointed with the failing result. The Christian understands this deep issue of unceasing disaster and pain as sin; everyone is contaminated with it, this author, you the reader, the Pope and your grandma. Because of sin hatred, disdain, wars and hard times will always exist on this earth. But the Christian has a hope for ultimate peace and it is found in the person and work Jesus Christ. He is the one who died on behalf of all those who would follow and believe him. Our sin has not only damaging consequences now but has eternal consequences as well, but Jesus died in our place paying for the evil we let seep from us. Now while we seek for peace here on earth and desire to bring good to as many as possible the Christian knows that ultimate peace will never exist on this earth; but the hope of the Christian is that one day there will be a new earth which is void of all sin and therefore hatred and war and rivalry; this is only true because Jesus killed sin forever. The Christian is no great individual or group of people but the Christian follows one, the only one who will bring about true and lasting peace which will never be interrupted by spouts of selfishness, greed, or hate.
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