Shortly after a tragic incident, our SAT-7 Parents Facebook page posed a simple but deeply human...
By George Makeen
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14).
Every four years, the World Cup performs a remarkable trick.
It turns strangers into friends.
Walk into a café, a bar, a park during a big match, and you’ll witness it in action: total strangers celebrating together, cheering and groaning as one. And, across the world, flags appear on balconies, bunting lines the streets, and national anthems are sung with pride.
This is one of soccer’s greatest gifts: belonging. The feeling of being part of something and standing alongside others. For a few glorious weeks, millions of people become part of something much bigger than themselves.
Every four years, the World Cup performs a remarkable trick.
At the same time, the World Cup also does exactly the opposite.
It divides.
Every tournament begins by separating the world into groups: winners and losers. Into those who go through and those who go home. (As an Egyptian, I was of course thrilled to see Egypt make it through to the knockout stage for the first time!)
Granted, rivalry is part of what makes the World Cup so compelling. Without an opponent, there is no competition.
But to ‘belong’ to one team is, almost by definition, to stand opposite another. You choose a side, and the lines are drawn.
Perhaps that’s why the comparison between football and faith is so fascinating. Both inspire extraordinary loyalty. Both bring people together in shared rituals and songs. Both create a sense of identity, belonging and purpose. Both remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
There is, however, one very profound difference…
One of soccer’s greatest gifts: belonging.
Soccer unites by drawing a line. Every ‘us’ depends upon a ‘them’.
Jesus offers a different kind of belonging.
His invitation is not to stand with one nation against another, but to become part of a family that stretches across every border, language, and culture.
Throughout Scripture, God’s vision is astonishingly international. People from every tribe, language, and nation are welcomed into one body; not because they share a passport, but because they share Christ.
As Paul writes: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
In a world that often defines itself by who is ‘us’ and who is ‘them’ – on the soccer field, across borders, and in everyday life – Jesus offers a different kind of belonging. The Church is one of the few places on earth where an Egyptian, an Iranian, an American, and a Brit can genuinely call one another brother and sister.
Soccer unites us by drawing a line.
This is a reality SAT-7 sees every day.
Messages arrive from viewers across the Middle East and North Africa who speak different languages, live under different governments, and face very different circumstances.
Yet, they are united by something far stronger than nationality.
They pray for one another. They encourage one another. They rejoice when another believer’s prayers are answered. The things that might divide them become far less important than the One who unites them.
One viewer, Diab, captured this sentiment perfectly while watching our recent 30th anniversary special live broadcast: “I always feel that SAT-7 is the voice of unity and the expression of the one Church of God, because through it I see my brothers and sisters from different countries around the world.”
It is a reminder that while soccer asks us to stand behind one flag, Christ calls believers from every nation to stand together under one name.
When the World Cup ends, the bunting will come down and the songs will fall silent. But the Kingdom of God keeps growing: one prayer, one act of love, and one transformed life at a time.
Soccer reminds us that human beings long to belong. The Gospel tells us that our deepest belonging is found not in wearing the same shirt, but in following the same Savior; in a belief built not on shared geography, culture, or language, but on one Lord, one faith, and one hope.
The invitation of Jesus is not to choose a side but to join a family. Perhaps that is the greatest difference of all: soccer asks us to choose who is on our side; Jesus asks us to love those who aren’t.
Because the unity Christ creates does not end with the final whistle.
George is from Cairo, Egypt. His education includes a BA in Theology and an MA in Biblical Theology from The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo. His previous work experience expands from script writing and translating to publishing and advertising. George joined SAT-7 in 2003, working as an assistant to the head of programs. As SAT-7 grew to a network of four channels, George played a major role in the development and growth of that expansion. Now he is responsible for overseeing the ministry’s content for the channels. In April 2026, George took on the additional role of European Representative for SAT-7 Europe, alongside his role as Ministry Content Advisor.
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