A World United/A World Divided

On this, the eve of the start of the World Cup, I am hopeful that for the next month the diverse people of this planet will unite in a common love. I have long held the belief that football is more than a game, but rather, an expression of the similarities that we all share as human beings.

The beauty of our game is that no matter where you go in the world you can find people much like yourself kicking a ball on a pitch – whether it be grass, dirt, pavement, or sand. And even if you don’t speak the same language as those who are playing, let the ball help you communicate.

So as you and I look forward with great anticipation to tomorrow’s kickoff between Costa Rica and the host German side, why is it that my heart is heavy with sadness? Maybe it’s because I know that the greatest spectacle on earth is nothing more than a month-long distraction from the horrors of the world today.

While we are enjoying the mastery of Ronaldinho and Drogba and Zidane and Beckham and Messi, wars and insurrections rage across the planet. Many of us will go ballistic at a referee for blowing a call while at the same moment another child’s life will be extinguished somewhere by violence and war.

And throughout Europe and elsewhere, here in the 21st-century, we are struggling with how to cope with a rise of right-wing extremism marked by racism and hatred. Simultaneously, the entire planet seems to be under the threat of terrorism by an Islamic jihad that potentially imperils everybody everywhere.

Certainly, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. But I hope that as the games come and go and a champion ultimately emerges, that we all spend some time thinking about things other than football.

No doubt, football is an important part of all of our lives and for the next month it will probably dominate our lives. But when it’s over and we all return to our daily routines, it is my sincere hope that instead of utilizing our emotional energy towards our teams and the referees who bring about their demise, that we find more meaningful purposes and causes for the betterment of the planet and its inhabitants.

We, the footballing community, have the capacity to change the world for the better. But it all starts with YOU.

Have a great World Cup!!!

Peace,
ac