A Sense of the Moment

In 2022, for the first time ever, the World Cup is being played at this time of the year. This is the biggest tournament in the world, and it brings together over a billion people watching and hoping their team can lift the trophy. There are two years worth of qualifying games to work through before you can be eligible for the tournament, and then there is a massive buildup to the kickoff of the greatest sporting spectacle that planet earth can offer. Players live their entire lives to try and shine for just one moment on this massive stage, and World Cup heroes are celebrated beyond their last days. As far as sports is concerned, it doesn’t get any bigger. You can get a glimpse of the meaning that’s placed on it when you see players in tears and fans elated or gutted after the final whistle. There are entire countries, including ours, that have hours of dedicated analysis of the intricacies of every highlight and decision. You see it, and you get a sense of just how big the moment is.

We are in the midst of celebrating the birth of our Savior. We are pondering the wonder and the glory of the Christ-child who gave up the magnificence of Heaven to put on flesh and be with us to rescue us from certain death. We are celebrating the good news of our Creator redeeming His creation. We are celebrating the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, and the dead raising. We are celebrating restoration, justice, and redemption. We join with the rest of the world in commemorating this earth-altering moment! This world-wide festivity is so massive that people celebrate even if they don’t have a clue as to why. Entire cities are lit up all over the world to observe, if not the actual person of Jesus, the ideals that he came preaching. Billions of people preach goodwill and peace in the name of Christmas. The World Cup is huge, but it pales in comparison to the celebration that the birth of our universe-changing Messiah causes each and every year. This is a moment that cannot become cliché to us. It’s too big! This year, remember what we are doing. Think about the magnificence of the occasion. Together, let us help each other gain a sense of just how beautiful and massive this moment truly is.