Advent:: National Shame

I wonder if at the 2016 Summer Olympics the athletes from Finland ever said, "It's not how you start, it's how you Finnish."

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I'll start printing the shirts for the 2018 Winter Olympics. 

Unfortunately the Finnish didn't finish well. They won a single medal. The bronze medal in women's boxing, lightweight division.

It was their poorest showing at any olympics in their history, which includes participation from 1908 until now. I think it's safe to say that it won't go on the highlight reel for Finland. I imagine they'll focus heavily on Nokia and their indestructible brick phones from the early aughts. 

Now, in sporting competition it's easy to say that you didn't care that much about the games anyway. You can separate from the under-preforming and chalk it up to a bad year. But what happens when your national identity is tied to failure on the international stage? What if your country of origin is the butt of jokes around the world? What if people perpetuate horrific stereotypes about all the people from your country? 

I would imagine that it could deeply impact your psyche and invite you to disassociate from your country of origin. You could start to question your abilities and successes because it will always be couched within a national identity of failure or shame. 

If you are from an affluent Western country in the world today you may not identify with that feeling, but that's why we'll take a look this Sunday at the story of Jesus birth. This is the reality that Jesus was born into. The Jews were a conquered and globally insignificant people in the ancient world. They definitely had a defined culture, but defined cultures are usually only valued if they have international successes.

How is the birth of Jesus into a globally shamed nation instructive for our own stories? How can it help us disengage from our shameful or deeply proud national identities to see another identity Christ called "The Kingdom of God"?