I don’t think many people know that this year could have turned out very differently for me. I was seriously considering doing a 6 month stint in Canada: working, playing footy and travelling. For various reasons I felt I had to pull out, the main one at the time being my application with the Ambulance Service, which has only just come to fruition.I would still consider it for the future. There was one main drawback, the “Footy Culture.” I have been part of this culture from playing Footy for so long. I got used to being in it without really participating in it. This culture involves (amongst other things) going to the closest pub after games (usually a club sponsor) and getting drunk, just for the heck of it. I was never into that so most of the time I didn’t go, but when I did go I wasn’t very comfortable on most occasions, even though these blokes were somewhat friends.
In Canada I thought this would be amplified as I would have to live, work, socialise and play footy with the same people. It would be harder to get away. I doubted whether I had the strength to cope with all the pressures. Maybe if I starred on the footy field they would let me be. Apparently it would not be hard for me to be a star of Canadian Footy.
So if I give it another year or two will I be better equipped to cope with going to Canada? It seemed like a double edged sword, I originally wanted to go because I could play footy over there in a developing competition, but I find it hard to cope with the footy culture sometimes. Any practical solutions?
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2 comments:
Perhaps I'm unqualified to say much, seeing as I'm not a sports person, but good on you for recognising the potential difficulties of six months in Canada with the Footy Culture. I can understand the discomfort you have around the alcohol and the other behaviour (I have a similar experience, to an extent, with my work culture). That said, having Christians in any culture, even the Footy Culture, is a good thing, too.
I guess this blog raises the question: how much are we to mingle with people in the world and how "dangerous" is it. Jesus gives us some idea in John 15-18 (ish). Jesus states that we are in the world. But he also prays to God on our behalf that God does not take us out of the world but that he protects us from the evil one and that we are sanctified in truth ie God's word. In addition to that, Jesus points out that he too was sent into the world (17: 15-19). We have many examples where Jesus mingled with the football players of his time (tax collectors, loose women). But he always acted according to God's word. So if you honestly believe that God wants you to go and be in the footballers' world but set an example by not being of it, I say DO IT! But if not, remember you are still in the world wherever you are and Jesus has already prayed that God will keep us.
My bible knowledge isn't great but that's what I got from those passages.
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