Nike and God Battle It Out For the Future

Last updated on: June 1, 2010 at 7:41 am by Dave Dunham

Nike and God Battle It Out For the Future 2010-06-01T07:41:17-06:00 Dave Dunham

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Write the future,” says the new tagline for an amazing Nike commercial which aired for the first time during the Champion’s League Final. The commercial is three minutes long and is fast-paced, gripping, funny, and (for soccer fans) beautiful. The ad shows a host of soccer superstars either making it big from their play on the field or destroying their lives and their countries because of their poor play. From a purely artistic perspective the ad is worth watching.

The ad is funny at points. Wayne Rooney, England’s superstar, misplaces a perfect pass and loses the game for his team. He is “Roo-ined” and kicked off the team. The nation plummets into financial decline and there is rioting in the streets. We see him years later living in a trailor with a full beard and beer belly, eating beans. Meanwhile Christano Ronaldo is appearing on The Simpsons, getting all the glitz and glamor and even a giant glittering statue. The tagline “Write the future” appears right before Ronaldo takes the game determining penalty shot. The implication is clear: the future is up to you and I. You can be the superstar or the loser!

This is the common view of our personal history and future that most people have. It’s very humanistic at its core. The future is what you make it, and everything depends on you. This, however, is simply not the reality. Very few things in this world rely totally or solely on you. Soccer, in fact, is a team sport and no one individual loses a game. Many things in life depend on your culture, time, your family and your context. These are not things that we can control. Furthermore, from a Biblical point of view, while we are responsible for our actions and we are called to work and do, nonetheless God has already written the future. He works out His will through us and so our choices do matter, but ultimately God determines the course of our lives. As Christians, then, we believe the proper response is prayer and submission to His will.

It is, of course, not easy to submit to God’s will and to work and live where He places us. It means sacrifice and losing the glamor sometimes and gaining the unwanted fame other times. It means victory and loss, wanting and not needing, and seeing our desires fulfilled and denied. Often following God’s plan for our future won’t get us billboards and cameos on The Simpsons. But we believe that in the end it is far better. Jesus himself said that it was of no value to gain the whole world and lose your soul. And furthermore, he says that those who lose for His sake and His kingdom’s sake will actually gain!

So maybe you can’t write your own future, but the good news for Christians is that God is a better writer then we ever could be. And the future we have in Him is the real victory!

Featured

Headline

Sports

Previous Post

May 28, 2010

Finding Death In Lost

Next Post

June 1, 2010 Who's Directing?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz