Wearing your team colours

Barring the rain, the summer of 2023 contained some of the most exciting cricket in Ashes history.

As an Australian, I lived the ups, the downs, and the damp squibs – perhaps you did too, though in the opposite direction. Australia does well in Australia but, as far as English fans are concerned, that all happens in the middle of the night. Series in England are what count for the English. And in England, Australia haven’t won outright for 20 years. In that time I’ve never had to set up any scores notifications on my phone. Every Australian wicket that falls and every English victory that’s won is instantly texted to me by friends – often accompanied by the line: ‘We beat you!’

Funny how we use the language of ‘we’ and ‘you’ when actually we’re talking about 11 other people we’ve never met. But that’s the way it works with ‘champions’. They represent us: their victories are our victories; their failures are our failures.

Recently I was doing an online event with some Australians. It was about evangelism. At different points I was asked these two questions that might sound unrelated, but are totally connected:

‘What’s it like being an Australian in England during the Ashes?’ and ‘How do we help Christians who are shy of owning their faith publicly?’

The first was a get-to-know-you ice-breaker. But when the second question came, I could see some real similarities. Why?

I support Australia come what may – for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in victory and defeat. I feel the losses when they lose, the wins when they win, and the shame when, as in 2018, they’re shamed. If I’ve stuck with Australia through the horrors of the 2018 ball tampering scandal, I guess they’re my team.

When the jeering and ribbing occurs on account of my team, there’s no part of me that thinks ‘Maybe I could ditch the Aussies and support the English instead – or the South Africans!’ Unthinkable. If you support a team – it could be football, rugby, underwater hockey, doesn’t matter – you will know what I’m talking about.

‘Christian till I die’

There’s a football chant that gets repurposed for many different two-syllable clubs. I’ll give the West Ham version: ‘West Ham till I die, I’m West Ham till I die. I know I am, I’m sure I am, I’m West Ham till I die.’

Hopefully you can see why this is linked to that second question: ‘How do we help Christians who are shy of owning their faith publicly?’ It was Sam Chan, a wonderful evangelist from Sydney, who asked that second question. He’d just met someone and asked him about his weekend. The guy mentioned something about a picnic on Sunday. Sam pressed him, ‘With friends?’ The guy mumbled: ‘Um, ah, no, with, um, my church actually.’

Why the mumble? Why the hesitation? He was ashamed of the association. He didn’t know Sam was a Christian and he didn’t want to stick out or sound weird. Sam and I both reflected that so much of evangelism is simply about standing unashamed as a Christian – for better and for worse!

Remember how Jesus asked His disciples: ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’and Simon Peter answered Him: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’ (John 6:67-68).

Remember how Paul wrote to the church in Rome: ‘I’m not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe’ (Rom.1:16).

Remember how Peter wrote to a bedraggled mob of refugees in northern Turkey: ‘If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name’ (1 Peter 4:16).

Equipping the church for evangelism is, in large part, about embedding this identity deep within us (which is basically what discipleship is too). And personal evangelism is, in large part, about owning ‘team Jesus’ through thick and thin.

Don’t mumble about the church picnic; in Jesus you have the words of eternal life. Don’t be ashamed to mention the topic of the sermon last Sunday; the gospel is God’s power for salvation. Don’t be embarrassed to be known as a Christian; your ‘team colours’ are glorious.

‘We’re Christian till we die!’ And, better still – in the end we win.