Are You Ready for Some Football?

Last Sunday we were able to attend the kickoff of the new season of the Evangelical Football League sponsored by Christ Church. When I heard that the church was starting the league I did not have this caliber of outreach in mind! First, this is not your beginner’s soccer match. There are many players that come out that already play in city leagues or other avenues. Secondly, it draws a large crowd. There were probably a thousand people that came out from the community to see the kickoff game. It is entertaining and it is free. Vendors come and sell fried plantains and boiled eggs with a special sauce. There are no stands or bleachers and the field looks as if it is in the middle of the jungle…it is incredible. Many of the people that attend may profess Christianity but more or less do not have a committed relationship with Christ. The church wants to use this sport to reach people with the gospel. They hope to purchase a sound system to use during the half time and perhaps bring in a special speaker to share his or her testimony. Alcohol abuse is one problem in the lives of the young people in the community. Already, the outreach is helping young people see the benefit of living healthily and taking care of your body.

One thing about working at Christ Church for this internship is you get paraded around a lot, or at least it seems like it. I am not used to sitting on the stage during church or being apart of processions in and out of buildings for important meetings. During this kickoff we had the privilege of joining Rev. Nyarko on the field for the blessing of the game. We got to shake all of the player’s hands and wish them luck. They looked sharp in their new uniforms that were donated by a government member (who happens to have an upcoming election). The game was exciting with all of the energy of the crowd. A goal brought the crowd to their feet jumping and cheering loudly—some things are the same in every culture. At one point, an upset portion of the crowd started a semi-brawl on the field. Usually it seems this would be on the account of a bad call by the ref, but that was not the case for these folks. Our friend Kojo informed us that some disgruntled fans were accusing the winning team of using magic to make the other team do poorly… yes, magic. It just goes to show how spiritually inclined this area is. The game ended up being a draw, but it was exciting all the way. It will be neat to see all the good that will come in the future from the Evangelical Football League this year.