Staying true

Well the World Cup has wrapped up. I don't think I watched any of the games. Not that I'm anti-soccer, I just don't have easy access to TV this summer. So I get my sports fix through sports talk radio. The buzz has died down a little since USA's early exit, but for a while it seemed that there were endless sketchy calls made by referees and FIFA seemed completely uninterested in addressing these errors. After a few controversial calls, some of the sports world was calling for the implementation of instant replay. However, FIFA responded that they did not want to change the game that had remained the same for such a long time.

Having instant replay involved in sports is a relatively new debate. The NFL has perhaps the most open use of the new technology in popular American sports- allowing coaches to "challenge" plays that they think were called incorrectly. The NHL and NBA use instant replay to double-check only in the case that points are involved (goal/no goal in hockey, and 3/2pt shots & buzzer beaters in basketball). But sports purists still insist that the integrity of the game is being compromised, and FIFA echoed the sentiments of these purists by stating that officiating mistakes are a part of the game.

Well, without giving my opinion on this issue (and believe me, I have one), I wonder what we can learn from sports about being the church. Are we allowing ourselves to progress or are we endangering the purity of the church and its traditions? As the information age progresses and creates a newer, more techno-savvy culture, what must the church do to remain in touch with the world? I see both sides of the argument: traditions keep us grounded and rooted, but they can also keep us from progressing and cause stagnation. We must continue to evaluate and hold both tradition and innovation in a balance.