Your Allegiance?

We have believed in Christ and recognize that we belong to Him. In this world, we can passionately show that we love Him and follow Him. Ephesians 2 states:

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

His foundation is sure, His foundation is strong, and when we consider the character of our lives, we remember that we are one with Christ - as Paul said, "in Him we live and move and have our being." We are called to pursue what pleases God and to reject what does not; He provides us the power and the determination to do so, in order that we might show ourselves to be faithful, His representatives in a world that needs to see His glory.

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In our profession and/or pursuing our passion, we can keep in mind that we are called to represent the Most High God. 2nd Corinthians 5 states:
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

World Cup fever has hit the U.S. once again, as the Women's World Cup championship is set for this Sunday, with the American team squaring off against the Netherlands in France.

The road to the championship has had its bumps along the way, and there has been a subplot having to do with the subject of homosexuality.  The USA coach, Jill Ellis, and its star player, Megan Rapinoe, are gay.  One player who was described as the best "pure tactical fit" for the team is not - and she will not be on the field on Sunday.

Her name is Jaelene Hinkle.  Maybe you caught John Stonestreet's recent Breakpoint commentary about Jaelene's journey.  He stated that...

...in 2017, Hinkle chose to withdraw from the national team rather than wear a U. S. team jersey sporting rainbow numbers in order to celebrate gay pride.

Hinkle explained her decision, “I just felt so convicted in my spirit that it wasn’t my job to wear this jersey… I gave myself three days to just seek and pray and determine what (God) was asking me to do in this situation. If I never get another national team call-up again then that’s just a part of His plan, and that’s okay. Maybe this is why I was meant to play soccer, to show other believers to be obedient.”

In 2015, after the Obergefell decision, she tweeted, "I believe with every fiber in my body that what was written 2,000 years ago in the Bible is undoubtedly true …. This world may change, but Christ and His Word NEVER will.”

Jaelene was granted a tryout by Coach Ellis, but as Stonestreet points out:

After three days of workouts, Ellis, who is gay and “married” to her lesbian partner, cut Hinkle, citing “footballing reasons.”

Many were skeptical that the best women’s fullback in the country—something even her pro-LGBT critics admit—isn’t good enough to play on the U. S. Women’s World Cup team. According to SB Nation’s Kim McCauley, who by the way called Hinkle a “vocal homophobe,” “there isn’t a better pure tactical fit available [for the U. S. team] than Hinkle.”

Hinkle is a member of the North Carolina Courage team and apparently her faith doesn't cause any problems.

So, the U.S. National Team might not be a good fit for a Christian whose allegiance is to God and desires to represent Him well.  But, it seems to be a better fit for someone who is an outspoken gay activist, who represents the U.S., yet has shown disrespect for her country's flag.  That would be Megan Rapinoe.  The BBC gives some biographical information:

• She "came out in 2012" and "is an advocate for numerous LGBT organisations."

• "In 2013, she was honoured with the Board of Directors Award by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center - for coming out as a high-profile gay athlete."

• "Megan is also an ambassador for Athlete Ally who focus on gaining equal access for all athletes in sport regardless of gender or sexual orientation."

• "In 2015, she was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame."

• "The footballer has been protesting the national anthem since 2016, in support of Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand for the song."

And, it's important to note that kneeling is not allowed by the U.S. Soccer Federation, so, "In the 2019 Women's World Cup, she has decided to not sing or place her hand over her heart like the rest of her teammates while the national anthem is played."  She's already, using profanity, stated she will not visit the White House if the Cup team wins.  This would be troublesome if it were in a professional sports league, mind you, but the U.S. Women's World Cup team, by its very nature, is a group of ambassadors for our country.  Rapinoe seems to be devoted more to being an ambassador for Gay Pride than for pride in the country which has afforded her this incredible opportunity to showcase her skills.

For each of us as believers in Christ, who fly His banner over our lives, we can remember who you represent.  We can ask ourselves, who do you hold allegiance to?  It is clear that Rapinoe's personal agenda outweighs her responsibility as a role model and an American representative.  For the Christian, we have to make sure that our personal agenda is God's agenda for us.

Now, that will look differently to different people.  Take, for instance, Israel Falau, who has learned an unfortunate lesson by pointing out on social media what the eternal destiny is for those who reject God's ways.  He, according to The Christian Post, was "Australia's most popular rugby player," until his social media post earlier this year.  He is challenging his termination as the result of his posting.

He had been raising support for legal fees through GoFundMe until, well, he wasn't.  BBC reports:

GoFundMe said the page violated its rules. All donations will be refunded.
"As a company, we are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ+ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity," said spokeswoman Nicola Britton.

The Christian Post reported that:

A campaign launched by the Australian Christian Lobby to help rugby star Israel Folau wage a legal battle against Rugby Australia over his controversial firing has been paused after it raised more than $1.4 million in less than two days.

“The outpouring of support for Izzy and for freedom has been staggering in its size and speed. More than (AUS) $2 million has been raised in less than two days, from over 20,000 people,” ACL Managing Director Martyn Iles said in a statement Thursday. “This means we have raised enough money for now and can afford to hit the pause button.”

Falau was passionate about his message and should be able to share his personal convictions on a personal social media page; it may not have been expressed necessarily in the way you or I would have done it, but he should have that right.

And, then consider this: when your deeply held beliefs conflict with what your organization or group is asking you to do, how do you respond?  Hinkle refused to wear a gay pride jersey as part of a national soccer team; a mandate that should never have been required of anyone.  She ultimately stepped aside from her position because she was being asked to violate her convictions.  But, things are certainly upside down, it seems, when Rapinoe's behavior is lauded and Hinkle's is not - that's the field on which all of us play, and in light of that, we can continue to be devoted to following God's standards for us.