It's been weeks since the World Cup, but Italians still glow in their victory. Friends saw this graffiti scrawled on a wall: "God created soccer, then said to Italy, 'Go, teach the world.'"

During the World Cup, the cry here was "Forza Italia!" (Go Italy!). Since their victory, the joyful chant has been, "Campioni del mondo!" (Champions of the World!)

This may all seem overly prideful - especially since Italy barely won some of its games - but it is fun to watch Italians unite and celebrate their country. They often don't.

 
World Champions!

Imagine all of the passion in United States for baseball, basketball and football (and all other sports) combined. Multiply that by the national pride of seeing your country fight against foreign foes and you get a glimpse of how important the World Cup is to countries around the world. During each game here, the streets emptied like those of a ghost town since almost everyone was either at home in front of their television or gathered with others in a piazza to watch the game on a big screen. After the final victory, the entire country erupted in all-night horn-honking and flag-waving. Thank you to those of you there who were watching and cheering Italy on. We heard your cheers, too.

I say all this because friends have asked about the World Cup. It was fun to be here.

But there is a spiritual lesson as well.

Some people say you can find "Italians" only every four years, during the World Cup. The rest of the time, Italians see themselves more often in terms of their local culture - as Roman, or Tuscan, or Puglianese, for example - referring to Italy's twenty different regions. Italians are often provincial and prejudiced against anyone who is not from their own, small area. Many prefer to speak the dialect shared only by the people of their region. They are not one culture.

But when their country is up against another country - when it is them against the world - then Italian blood quickens and their passion is stirred. They become "Italians, champions of the world." A common foe or objective unites this divided and disparate people.

Do you see the similarities to us? What will it take for us Christians to join forces and stop picking on each other? We need only to see our enemy for who he is and realize we are all fighting the same thing - something outside of us, which threatens all of us.

We are in "a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels." (Ephesians 6:12, TM)

We must stand and fight together. Greater is he who is in us than he who is against us.

The stakes are high, but it's wonderful to be on the team that will win.

Gary Williams
Florence Bible School
Italy