FIFA Uncovered
I recently watched a new Netflix documentary titled, "FIFA Uncovered." I watched it for three reasons: 1) Our family loves soccer! The World Cup begins on the 20th of November. 2) At one point, we lived in Zurich, Switzerland. That city is also the headquarters of FIFA. 3) I'd casually followed the corruption scandals and was eager to learn more. Now that I've finished the series, it occurred to me that they made a compelling case for original sin.
In the documentary series, the phrase, "That's just the way it is" (cue Bruce Hornsby's track) or more popularly, "everybody's doing it" was used over and over again with regard to power, money, bribery, laundering, pandering, etc. I've heard that same phrase used at all strata of society - from institutions to the kitchen table. It's all about what is incentivized and who you're willing to become to meet your desire.
As I watched, I was struck by two realities. First, sin impacts all levels of society. Living in a rich country, being comfortable, and being surrounded by beauty is not the antidote to sinful choices. The level of desperation may be different (for example, stealing a loaf of bread), but the proclivity, choice, and level of choice is the same everywhere. One chooses to be a gang leader as equally as one chooses to lead corruptly. Power balance is also not the antidote. That was attempted in various governmental systems and if humanity has demonstrated anything, it's our own propensity and capacity to destroy the very ideal we create based on sinful choices along the way.
Second, making moral choices is hard for everyone. And it has always been hard. From the poor family determined to earn a living honestly and with integrity to a rich executive determined not to fudge the numbers or lead from insecurity, the few are united by their determination to behave in a manner that is good. I use the word "good" deliberately here, and not "according to their conscience." The reason is that plenty of corrupt people sleep well at night, "according to their conscience." And so we require an "outside of us" morality that sharpens the conscience embedded in us by a holy God. "Good" must be determined by Someone who is not us.
Sometimes, society becomes so lost in its own sense of moral indignation that it forgets societal struggle is ultimately an internal, individual struggle for the heart. An honest man transcends social strata and resonates with other honest men everywhere. The challenge is that there is so much dishonesty around us, we cannot assume honesty. And that's a shame because, in this case, football/soccer is a beautiful sport that wants us to assume the best both on the field of play and apart from it. For Americans, there's a reason why the 1919 White Sox, who fixed the World Series, aren't admired for their cunning. Rather, they stole something from everyone, including themselves.
Sin steals so much from us. Though I wish it was easier to make righteous decisions in the world, God determined that our struggle to make those decisions would help shape our intentionality and character while also bearing testimony. There's one great recording as the FBI is spying on corrupt executive committee members talking about giving 1.5M in bribes to seven regional leaders. They said, "Not eight. There is one who is incorruptible." Seven to one isn't great odds. But I'd rather stand with the one than all seven.
