The reality of idols...
You might have guessed if you know me well that it wouldn't take long to give my allegience to a football team in Italy. You'd be right and living in Rome it seemed oh so natural that that team be the Giallorossi, AS Roma, and since tickets aren't half as expensive as the Premier League I've even been able to go and watch three games at Stadio Olimpico!
Ok, I haven't blogged for the first time in forever to tell you I became a Roma fan, but more to talk about this fella...
Francesco Totti, il capitano (recipient of the language transferable football song "C'e solo un Capitano"), basically this guy is not a guy he's THE guy. That said he's 33 and arguably very much passed it in the eyes of much of the football world albeit still a hugely gifted and skillful player.
Anyway I digress. Francesco Totti is loved in Rome perhaps more than any other human being and, despite my Roma fan nature, it's really quite disturbing. Yes, the title of this blog wasn't a trick to get you to read about football, it's something football is teaching me afresh.
Totti is a hero, a son of Rome playing for Rome's team, a representation of the people of the eternal city, he's an idol in every sense of the word. Before each game they end the announcement of the team sheet at ten players and then there's the biggest din imagineable, an intense drum roll and then the fans rather than the PA man announces Totti into the starting line up. His title (il Capitano) is chanted and sung throughout the game and every time he gets the ball the expectation level rises four notches. The Romans worship this guy far more than God and it cuts to the quick every time I go to a game.
I was at the game this past Sunday against Sampdoria, Roma had a terrible start to the season but have since gone on a 25 match unbeaten run to claw back Inter Milan and finally take over at the top of the league, Inter won on Saturday to go back to the top but four straight wins would give Roma the Championship anyway. The racket on Sunday was unbelievable, Totti was there to lead the team, everything was well...that was until Sampdoria won the game 2-1, ended the unbeaten run and almost certainly handed Inter the league title. Totti was crushed, the crowd was silent, equally devastated.
And that's the thing about idols, they fail. They don't mean to, they don't try to it's just the reality of putting ultimate trust in something or someone other than God. It hurt on many levels on Sunday but the thing that hurt most was seeing thousands of people failed by the person they believed in more than anyone else and there's no question that hurt him more. It wasn't Totti's fault, in reality he played pretty well, it was just the inevitable catching up with everyone, idol's fail you anyway.
It's sobering to watch reality smack 80,000 idol worshippers in the mouth (and those 80,000 only represent the rest who didn't get tickets) but it's even more sobering to look into my own soul and realise the idols I have. I love Jesus, He's number one, but when I look inside I find so many other things that I allow to have idolatrous power in my life, if all my worship isn't trained on Christ then my soul will find something else to worship instead. I'm just finishing up reading Counerfeit God's by Tim Keller, which is an incredible book on the subject that sheds light on some of the big (and small) idols that can so easily take root in our souls. It's one of those books that punches you in the stomach every time you turn the page and strips away some of the excuses we make to protect those idols we just don't want to let go.
I've started praying for Francesco Totti, he's a leader and if the Lord gets a hold of him he could bring massive change in Rome for Jesus. I'm also praying for every heart in this city that worships him that God would reveal Himself to them, that they could see that He is the only one who will never fail them and the only one truly worthy of their worship.
You might not idolise Francesco Totti, but are there other things or people setting themselves up as gods in your life?
Ok, I haven't blogged for the first time in forever to tell you I became a Roma fan, but more to talk about this fella...
Francesco Totti, il capitano (recipient of the language transferable football song "C'e solo un Capitano"), basically this guy is not a guy he's THE guy. That said he's 33 and arguably very much passed it in the eyes of much of the football world albeit still a hugely gifted and skillful player.
Anyway I digress. Francesco Totti is loved in Rome perhaps more than any other human being and, despite my Roma fan nature, it's really quite disturbing. Yes, the title of this blog wasn't a trick to get you to read about football, it's something football is teaching me afresh.
Totti is a hero, a son of Rome playing for Rome's team, a representation of the people of the eternal city, he's an idol in every sense of the word. Before each game they end the announcement of the team sheet at ten players and then there's the biggest din imagineable, an intense drum roll and then the fans rather than the PA man announces Totti into the starting line up. His title (il Capitano) is chanted and sung throughout the game and every time he gets the ball the expectation level rises four notches. The Romans worship this guy far more than God and it cuts to the quick every time I go to a game.
I was at the game this past Sunday against Sampdoria, Roma had a terrible start to the season but have since gone on a 25 match unbeaten run to claw back Inter Milan and finally take over at the top of the league, Inter won on Saturday to go back to the top but four straight wins would give Roma the Championship anyway. The racket on Sunday was unbelievable, Totti was there to lead the team, everything was well...that was until Sampdoria won the game 2-1, ended the unbeaten run and almost certainly handed Inter the league title. Totti was crushed, the crowd was silent, equally devastated.
And that's the thing about idols, they fail. They don't mean to, they don't try to it's just the reality of putting ultimate trust in something or someone other than God. It hurt on many levels on Sunday but the thing that hurt most was seeing thousands of people failed by the person they believed in more than anyone else and there's no question that hurt him more. It wasn't Totti's fault, in reality he played pretty well, it was just the inevitable catching up with everyone, idol's fail you anyway.
It's sobering to watch reality smack 80,000 idol worshippers in the mouth (and those 80,000 only represent the rest who didn't get tickets) but it's even more sobering to look into my own soul and realise the idols I have. I love Jesus, He's number one, but when I look inside I find so many other things that I allow to have idolatrous power in my life, if all my worship isn't trained on Christ then my soul will find something else to worship instead. I'm just finishing up reading Counerfeit God's by Tim Keller, which is an incredible book on the subject that sheds light on some of the big (and small) idols that can so easily take root in our souls. It's one of those books that punches you in the stomach every time you turn the page and strips away some of the excuses we make to protect those idols we just don't want to let go.
I've started praying for Francesco Totti, he's a leader and if the Lord gets a hold of him he could bring massive change in Rome for Jesus. I'm also praying for every heart in this city that worships him that God would reveal Himself to them, that they could see that He is the only one who will never fail them and the only one truly worthy of their worship.
You might not idolise Francesco Totti, but are there other things or people setting themselves up as gods in your life?
posted by andyd @ 11:14 pm
2 Comments:
At 12:34 am,
Chris said…
Well said, Dixon. Forza Roma ma piu importante, forza Gesu. One day the true il Capitano will descend from the sky... I pray that the hearts in the city will be ready.
At 6:13 am,
Bryan said…
It would be great if salvation came to Francesco Totti and from him to many others in Rome. But, is it not making God small if we think that HE needs someone important to lead others to Christ?
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