Greetings Carson Valley. The World Cup is over. Can you believe that last game between France and Italy? Ten minutes till the end of overtime and Zidane, the French team's captain, assaults one of the opposing team's defensive players, Materazzi. Unbelievable.
Apparently Zidane was going to retire at the end of the World Cup. Many were proclaiming him to be one of the greatest players in 20 years - right up there with Pelé. But 10 minutes until the end of the game, he attacks another player. No doubt he will remember and regret that play to his grave.
What's very sad is that although Zidane is an incredibly gifted soccer champion, and should be remembered for his many years of great soccer playing, he will probably be remembered as the captain who possibly lost the 2006 World Cup for the French. Just one bad moment. Just one thoughtless act.
This scenario kind of reminds me of a verse in the Bible, James 2:10: "And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws."
What this verse is telling us is that from God's perspective, He doesn't play the "scale" game, measuring each one of us on how good or how bad or anywhere in between, and then accept us accordingly. Like grading on the curve.
No ... God doesn't do that. It seems to be pretty black and white according to the scriptures. Either we are perfect and holy, never having ever done anything wrong, or, we have sinned and thus are guilty of sin and unable to have fellowship with God. This would be a pretty sad story if it ended there. Especially since the Bible also tells us that we have all sinned, Romans 3:23.
What is incredibly exciting is that Jesus Christ took the penalty and eternal consequences of one and all of our sins, and paid for them with His death. Also, quite incredibly, by truly believing and receiving the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and proclaimed righteous before God.
I wonder if Zidane knows this. I hope he does.
