Peace on Earth? Advent and Aggression

Connecting Advent and Sports

First, Happy New Year!

“Erm…embarrassing,” you might be thinking. “It’s only December 2! The New Year is 29 days away!”

Well, according to the regular calendar we use today, yes, you’re absolutely right. I’ll give you that! Well, according to the regular calendar we use today, yes, you’re absolutely right. I’ll give you that! But I’m referring to a different calendar—the one that marks the time of God’s activity in saving and rescuing the world. This calendar focuses on the year from a faith-based perspective. It is a spiritual calendar, and the First Sunday of Advent (December 1, 2024) marks the beginning of this new spiritual year. We've just entered a whole new year in the life of the Church as we reflect on and open our hearts to God’s work in saving and restoring all things to Himself. So, technically, it is the start of the New Year—just in a different sense!

So, go ahead. Wish someone a Happy New Year today!

Now, to the point of this post. On the last day of the spiritual year (Saturday, November 30, 2024), I watched some of the traditional football rivalry games taking place around the U.S. The energy in these games—both on the field and in the stands—makes them exciting and fun... until they’re not. On Saturday, in some (though not all) of the venues, players greeted each other after the game not with gestures of sportsmanship, but with open acts of hostility and aggression. Unfortunately, these acts of aggression are just the latest chapter in a growing trend in sports.

• A high school football game in California got shut down because one team took the meaning of the word "beatdown" a little too literally. This is merely one example of the penetration of youth culture with aggression. Last evening, I walked with my dog, Fergus, on one side of a dedicated green space. From the far side of the field, a group of young men had been playing an informal football game. But something had happened and the game had been forgotten. The young men were now facing off against one another, violent, threatening language filling the air.

• Another form of football (soccer), played by most of the world, is grappling with fan behavior known as “hooliganism.” Research points to several factors contributing to the rise in violence: alcohol and drugs, which lower inhibitions and fuel unpredictable behavior; political and economic divisions within society; and the growing influence of organized crime within the sport in some communities.

• Even cricket has gotten in on the growing violence with “sledging.” with the rise of "sledging." Sledging involves verbally insulting and intimidating an opponent. While light-hearted banter during a game is one thing, crossing the line into abusive and violent speech is something entirely different.

This post is not about criticizing youth culture, or young men and women. They are living in a world shaped by a culture of violence. Hate is in the air. It has become a commodity on cable talk shows and social media making civility seem no longer relevant. Talk show hosts shout and use vulgar language. Winners gloat over opponents’ losses and losers refuse to lose gracefully. And what do we do? We consume these shows. We just can’t quit watching. We absorb the aggression. We celebrate the emotion, calling our favorite commentator "on fire" when they lash out and push the boundaries of respectful speech.

The spiritual New Year we’ve just entered offers a different story—one that can help both young men and women, as well as older generations, reimagine what it means to be men and women in this world. Here’s one story that caught my attention on the first day of the year: the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, as told by Luke, the gospel writer.

Luke begins his account of Jesus’ life with an unexpected story—one about an elderly couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Though the gospel focuses mostly on the life of Jesus, Luke introduces us to this couple as part of the story’s beginning. Zechariah, a priest, lives in a small village in the hill country of Judea, outside Jerusalem. He and his wife are elderly, and there was no retirement for priests in the first century. Luke provides a few key details about them:

They are childless. Elizabeth was infertile, which led to harsh judgment from the local women. In that time, infertility was seen as a sign of hidden sin, and Elizabeth undoubtedly experienced Cricket-like sledging as she was unfairly labeled as an unrepentant sinner by her community.

Yet, Luke also tells us that Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous people, committed to honoring God in all aspects of their lives. Despite the harsh words of others, they didn’t return evil for evil. Instead, they continued to trust in God’s good plans for them.

Luke even hints at their perseverance through their names. In that era, names were more than just identifiers—they reflected a person’s character and spirit. Zechariah meant "God promises," and Elizabeth meant "My God keeps His word." Every time they spoke to one another, they were reminded of God's nature and faithfulness. Imagine Zechariah waking up in the morning and saying to his wife, “Good morning, My God Keeps His Word! Here’s a cup of coffee for you.” Elizabeth might reply, “Thank you, God Promises! How did you sleep, my love?”

With this background, the story takes a surprising turn one day when Zechariah, on duty at the temple in Jerusalem, is burning incense as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people rising to heaven. As he stands in the inner courts, reciting scriptures and prayers, Zechariah receives a divine message: "Your prayers have been answered. Elizabeth will have a child."

Which prayers, exactly? It’s unlikely that Zechariah was praying for a child at his advanced age. Instead, his prayers were likely focused on God’s promise to save and restore Israel—and the world. Their child would later be known as John the Baptist, who would play a pivotal role in preparing the hearts of people for the coming of Jesus.

Most of the conversation about curbing the growing aggression among young men and women focuses on external factors. No doubt education, help with alcohol and drug overuse, better economic options, and more consistent options for all will help. But as I read the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, I am reminded of how important it is to welcome young men and women—and older (old?) men and women—to take seriously the spiritual condition of our inner lives.

What follows are some simple steps we can take to build a spiritual core more and more freed from the grip of aggression and violence. I hope in beginning of this spiritual new year you will find a center where young and old together are forming a spiritual center more like the good, gentle, and trusting hearts of Zechariah (God Promises) and Elizabeth (My God Keeps His Word).

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