Cosmologies: Football or Liturgy

Football Cosmology or Liturgical Cosmology
This is about soccer (football) and liturgy. South Africa is living in the aftermath of the world cup and nobody seems to be able to let go of it. Many people think it was such a good occasion. The ‘vibes’ have been so good. People have calmed down and have been nice to one another etc.
But this morning I was back in St George’s cathedral at 7h15 for the regular morning Eucharist, the one on a Thursday morning which I now have celebrated for most of the years of this millennium, from 2001 onwards. Already last night I had the right feel about it. This worship, this liturgy, early in the morning, does not steal much of my time, but it creates my time as it comes during the rest of the day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. This morning the gospel reading was about Jesus who said to people (us): come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11.28-30)
I could have taken any part of the liturgy of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) and made it into something relevant for the day. This text however was enough to set the tone. Think of this: I want to have the same attitude as Christ had and if I am burdened in any way by anything I can know this morning that somebody cares for me.
This has to do with cosmology, which could be taken to mean “the study of the universe as a whole and of its form, nature etc.” (Collins Concise 1980)
At this point I will just give a taste of how this important notion, ‘cosmology’ can be understood. A point to start from is to say that even the physical universe is interpreted in our understanding of it. But part of cosmology is also the ethical and theological understanding of it. It depends on our attitude. If I think that creation is ruled by laws that only allow the fittest to survive, or if I believe that selfishness basically rules by nature, then I will also view things in this cosmos, this world from that perspective. If, on the other hand, I believe that cosmos ultimately is ruled by somebody who loves, who loves all, regardless of strength and ability, then my view also will be different. In such a way I am in fact building a universe from my own perspective; in any society we do build our universe, our cosmos from values and insights that we have.
It is quite simple. In a particular activity, like a soccer match or a Eucharistic liturgy, we symbolically act as we would like to act as a whole world, and during all my time available. Therefore it is not without importance what I do when in church or when watching or even better play football.
When it comes to football it is rather amazing that it attracts so many people regardless of background; what is the secret? There is talk about play on a level field. The rules are the same for all. Anybody regardless of background can come and prove himself/herself. In South Africa it is being said that football is a good school in democracy, and black soccer historically has to do with that. There is this excitement about the game; there is joy, relaxation, company.
But at the same time there are some clear limits. First of all, very few actually play, while the crowds always are watching crowds. Most of the watching is being done in front of the TV, perhaps with a beer or two. The good players, and the professionals, are acting for us; they are in a sense doing it vicariously. When they are victorious we are jubilant together with them, when they fall flat on the grass we suffer with them. But extremely few are actually playing the game. And with a sense of shame almost I am thinking of the little village boy somewhere in Africa who is dreaming about becoming a professional soccer player in Europe. Is that a dream worth having? Is it a realistic dream?
Sometimes the church has been very much like soccer. The crowds attend the service and very few, that is to say the clergy, act. That is not as it should be. In the liturgical course of events, Christ is the host and he it is who acts on our behalf. He it is who vicariously takes on himself all our burdens; but that is not the end of the story. All of us present in the Eucharistic service, sharing his body and his blood, are also empowered to do, at least to some extent, what he has done.
Therefore, we are called to emulate the care and the love that he showed us when we came and appeared to be weighed down by our burdens. We get the inspiration to see that we are indeed able to care for others, not only ourselves. In so doing we are already building a new world, we are busy constructing something beautiful out of what we took part in, early in the morning, a cosmology. In the liturgical play we are all equal and are all called to continue Christ’s actions in the world where we are set to be.
I don’t deny that there is a cosmology also emanating from a game of soccer. It was so close, but we lost; the end result however, was not hatred or sulkiness, rather acceptance and realization that after all this was a game and all did there share towards the excitement. In the liturgical cosmology the starting point is with Jesus Christ, who inspires us to draw up structures that are in line with the Kingdom of God and we start to build something that is already redeemed in him.