On Saturday, September 24, Concordia Saint Paul's football team played Minnesota State for Concordia's homecoming game. The game began at noon at Sea Foam Stadium. Before the game commenced, sparkling fireworks were launched from the stadium to celebrate Concordia's homecoming. Many of Concordia's students came to the game, sporting Concordia apparel. Some of them paid close attention to the game and cheered their hearts out, while others socialized and took pictures with friends. Regardless of how students spent their time in the bleachers, everyone was united as a community as they supported the Golden Bears.
The football game exhibited many things about what it is like to be human and Christian in an interconnected world. Throughout the game, Concordia shined like a city on a hill; Concordia did this through the modesty it displayed throughout the period of the game. Concordia's cheerleaders wore fairly modest outfits. Many colleges don't uphold modest values in regard to what their cheerleaders wear. Thus, Concordia's cheerleaders were an excellent example for all. They refrained from inappropriate dancing, such as sexually suggestive moves, which was another great example of Christian modesty. Also, none of their cheers were designed to insult the opposing team, but rather lifted up Concordia's players. This was an excellent example of good sportsmanship. It can be difficult to show good sportsmanship and modesty during any competition. Due to people's fallen nature, their competitiveness can lead to inappropriate behavior such as aggravating the opposing team, booing them, and insulting them. However, Concordia's students did not fall into such temptation, but remained wonderful examples of Christian values for the opposing team.
The game caused me to ponder about what it means to live in a modern world where technology is everywhere and diminishes social interactions among people. The game was a rare occurrence where technology was set aside, with the exception of digital cameras, and people talked to one another in person rather than text messaging each other or messaging one another on Facebook. Students were brought together as a community and given the chance to interact with each other on a personal level. I thought technology usually isolated people from each other, but I could not ignore the exception of digital cameras. Friends that took pictures with one another, bonded on an intimate level as they laughed together, huddled close so everyone would fit in the picture, and reacted to the faces they made in the pictures. I concluded that even though technology tends to separate people, it can also bring them closer together when people use it with friends that are present with them.
