Faith,
Family & Community
Have you seen the TV show Ted Lasso? It was very popular a few years ago. And is often re-watched by loyal supporters. The premise of Lasso is that a British Premier League soccer team hires an American football coach from Kansas to be their soccer manager. We quickly learn that the team’s new owner (who got the team through divorce) wants to drive the organization into the ground, to spite her husband. She has hired a completely inept coach expecting many losses.
There is a poster that gets taped to the top of the doorway leading to Coach Lasso’s office. One single word on it. Believe. This poster is significant from the beginning to the end of the series. And, while Coach Lasso has lots of sayings— Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse. If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong; You say impossible, but all I hear is I’m possible; Be a goldfish (referencing their 10-second memory)—it is the way that he genuinely cares for his team that will not allow them to fail.
There are many ups and downs. Ted Lasso perseveres through professional and personal strife. He says I believe in hope. I believe in ‘believe’.
As faithful followers of Christ, we cannot allow a fictional character to have more hope and belief than we do. In our world, at this exact moment, we must step up to overcome the strife we encounter and see on the news and in our social media feeds. We must not let perpetrators of violence tear away the very fabric of our society. We must be the embodiment of love and peace and hope—even when we are tempted not to be the body of Christ. Just. Now.
We must believe in hope. We must believe in’believe’. For the aims of God to be realized we must live the faith we profess to believe, the kind of faith that leads to hope. Even when it is difficult. Even. Now. Especially. Now.
Peace Friends.
Kelly Ingersoll, Minister
Kelly Ingersoll is the Pastor of First Christian Church of Macomb and resides in Macomb with his wife Anne.
