|
An Indian sports star urges his countrymen to believe in the power of love in the wake of the Bombay (Mumbai) bombing. And how about soccer as a metaphor for international peace?
This has been an interesting week. We went from World Cup glory to commuter rail bombings to a shooting war across a volatile borderline. So perhaps it’s fitting that a cricket player in India is bringing the most wisdom to the debate. This from The Times of India: Sachin urges countrymen to believe in the power of love Excerpt: [Cricketer] Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday hailed the spirit of Indian people, which he said has helped the country quickly overcome the devastating serial blasts in Mumbai, and urged his countrymen to believe in the power of love. "It was extremely unfortunate, so many innocent lives were lost. But it has also shown the strength of our Indian people. People were back to work on the same trains the very next day," Tendulkar said. "This is the strength of Bharat (India), to help each other in difficult times. When we do this, our strength grows, our love for each other grows. "We have seen people helping others whom they have not known before, giving them water and food. These things happen rarely outside India. "We have to keep helping each other, it will only strengthen our bonding."
Here’s another story from Newsweek where soccer is actually a metaphor for international relations. The Pickup Game as a Model for Peace? Sure, there are fouls and penalties, but the spirit of the soccer match brings all races together. Excerpt: Over the centuries, there have been many utopian schemes for world peace, now mostly consigned to the ash heap of history, but soccer offers a vision of how such a world order might actually work. There are none of the vague platitudes you hear at UNESCO conferences; the sport allows for plenty of competition; it's not just about love and brotherhood, as witnessed by the recent World Cup. People push, shove and sometimes foul. They want to win. But they must subordinate even the fiercest rivalries to the game itself. If a fight breaks out, the game stops. No one wants that.
I just have to quote a familiar passage today, as I prepare for a weekend of CNN-watching and prayer: One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed. --Science and Health And I may need to add soccer ("football") and cricket to my viewing schedule. Read more from this blogger at Laura Matthews, CS.
|
