The word “peace” in the Bible refers to a mental attitude of tranquillity – based on a relationship with God. We see two types of peace in the bible; peace with God, when you accept Jesus as Lord and saviour, and peace of God, available as God’s gift that allows us to follow God’s plans for our lives.
But you might think, how can this idea of peace, body and mind, link to kicking a ball about, running around or dancing till you drop? Personally, I believe that sport and peacefulness are far more closely linked than we could have imagined. Take WW2, mass fighting beyond the control of Politicians, Commanders and Kings. Yet beneath the carnage a flicker of peace and civilisation still glowed. The Christmas Truce, with its famous football match. Though peace on earth seemed a ridiculous fantasy, impromptu ceasefires began from 18th December 1914, despite the British High Command issuing a stern order against fraternisation. Guns fell silent and the sound of Germans singing the well-known carol Silent Night echoed across No Man’s Land. The British soon joined and then across from the German trenches came the words, “Tomorrow is Christmas; if you don’t fight, we won’t.” In many places, delightful Christmas peace and chaos reigned.
Fraternisation inevitably led to football. Men who could not otherwise communicate shared a common language and for a brief moment, football provided a respite of peace -a shared culture every nation could understand. At that moment they were neither British nor German, but lovers of the game. The finding and surfacing of this common interest created a sense of peace and comradery.
Enlisting peace into our sports and taking the time to remain in a peaceful state on the sports field or dance studio, as well as in our everyday life, can help us get through tough times. For us at Kick London, letting God’s peace fight our battles and change our mindset away from anger and frustration during our playing or coaching sessions is a real comfort when we face adversity.
Through discovering God’s gift of peace to the world, peace of heart and mind and realising that God’s peace surpasses
understanding, we see that Jesus is our eternal peace. This peace comes through fellowship with God, and understanding God’s grace in all areas of life. Receiving grace and peace from the Lord, puts us in the right position to walk in God’s calling for our lives.
Knowing this peace and being able to talk about it with young people as I go into schools and coach is a real joy. I hope and pray expectantly to see lives transformed by God’s peace and the work Kick London do this Christmas season.