Cody Gakpo and Tom de Wal

Sun Jul 7, 08:25 General Read 190 times

It’s that time once more: a football summer. Especially men with a fair amount of belly fat, like myself, watch – preferably in a café on a big screen, with beer and bitterballen within reach – how other men, with less belly fat, run following a ball to kick it into a net. Wonderful!

This year, however, there is something extra. It cannot have escaped anyone’s attention that quite a few top players are not only footballers, but also Christians. Gakpo, Depay, Van Dijk, Weghorst and others are not ashamed of their faith. Gakpo and Depay even took the initiative to have Bible studies within the Orange selection. Cody Gakpo says: “Faith is a lifestyle for me. Faith is with me every second of the day, not just on Sunday in church.” He also shamelessly shares Bible texts on his Instagram account. Other believers can learn something from that. We are getting very used to the idea that faith is for private life, like a hobby. But if even sport is not private, then faith is not at all. After all, if God exists, that is not only relevant for believers, but for all people.

On the other hand, it does make a big difference how you present your faith to the outside world. Do you do it personally and modestly, because you yourself are nothing more than a mortal? Or do you do it with a lot of fuss and bustle, so that the attention also goes to you as a person? The latter is the way of Tom de Wal, who has caused quite a stir with his Frontrunners, even in the House of Representatives. This preacher has plans for a mega temple that will cost millions. He attracts many people with the message that they can be healed of their ailments and filled with the Holy Spirit. But the bad thing is that he manipulates and plays on people’s weak spots, their fears and their sorrow. He promises childless couples who are at their wits’ end that they will become pregnant, if they only believe enough – and give enough money. If the miracle does not happen, it is because of your lack of faith. Such a message does the name of Christianity no good but harm. I understand you very well if you think: if this is believing, then give my portion to Fikkie. Or: then believers are just dangerous lunatics.

So it is a delicate matter with faith. There is a healthy faith that makes whole, that sets free, that gives hope even beyond death. But there is also an unhealthy faith that makes narrow-minded, sometimes makes sick, and very occasionally is even dangerous. It is a pity that the sick, crazy faith often makes it into the newspapers before the normal and healthy faith, which benefits everyone.

My proposal is: let Tom de Wal take a seat in the Dutch national team. I think he can play football very well. But above all he can learn a lot from the Bible studies in the Orange selection.