That’s not me. How come can I wear trousers and say I am going to play? How can fellow Christians react? That’s Satanic!
The above words are some statements one could hear a religious Christian say while told of wearing trousers or shorts. Most surprisingly, it would be like chaos to her playing football. “That’s Satanic!” one could say. However, as time went by, Christians started understanding scenarios.
The ultimate goal of Christians is to attend song rehearsals, go to prayer networks, attend fellowships, help needy persons, and visit patients and imprisoned persons, among other Biblical acts but live aside doing common sports.
The same had happened to Christian associations serving the University of Rwanda, Huye Campus, ever since they were founded. However, the story has been history between the two Christian associations – CEP-UR HUYE (Community of Pentecostal students, ADEPR-Rwanda, located at the UR-HUYE Campus) and RASA (Rwanda Anglican Students’ Association) after organizing and playing a football friendly game.
One of the benefits of sporting activities is the promotion of friendship between the two communities. And thus, Mr. Eric Ukundwaniwabo, CEP-UR HUYE’s president said: “We thought and found that evangelism should not end in only churches where Christians mostly found it worthies it to tell the others. Some people don’t go to churches but love football. That way, we can get an opportunity to talk about Jesus at the end of the game. Even though we cannot immediately get several people who turn to Christ but the message is injected.”
Mr Eric, adds that the Bible allows competitions and emphasizes the importance of sports to Christians. “if God promises us to be healthy while we are drinking sugars and eating fatty and oily foods, it is then our turn to do sports to prevent heart diseases, diabetes and then live healthy as God promises us to be.”
CEP-UR Huye team
According to the Bible, 1 Timothy 4:8, bodily exercises profit those who do them even if it is a little profit but it is there. “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” This Bible verse portrays
RASA- Huye Campus’s President, Mr Mr. Frederic Nizeyimana
RASA’s president, Mr. Frederic Nizeyimana says that such activities contribute a lot to the daily lives of Christians. “Sporting activities increase bilateral relations of Christians, collaboration, and there are moments of pleasure to us all.”
RASA’s football team
The URSU’s Ministry of Sports, which is responsible for students’ sporting activities, owes a role to every university student engaged in sports activities. And thus, the minister of sports and culture at the University of Rwanda, Huye Campus, Mr. Mukunzi applauds the engagement of Christian associations in other activities including sports and promises future help to the same activities.
The record was broken when a football game between CEP-UR HUYE and RASA happened and RASA defeated 2-1 against CEP on Saturday 22, October 2022.
Ishimwe Christmas, a year two medical student and team captain of RASA said: “We were excited as we learned of this friendly game. It was a celebration moment for us brothers and sisters in Christ. ” He adds that more exercises from a cellular competition (The Inter-dioceses competition) helped them secure the game but CEP’s team is such a good winning team.
Jean De Dieu Tuyizere, team captain of the CEP-UR HUYE team says “We did not exercise enough before the game but there are three things in the playground: defeating, losing, or scoring the same. My boys did well and the game was good.”
The Kaminuza Star learns, besides, male football games, those female Christian players of Christian associations should also appear in the playground in various games including Basketball, football, and handball as the whole World testifies gender as an important issue in any corner of life.
Before ordinary Christians understand the importance of sports, some churches started involvement in it. ADEPR Church of Rwanda on 2 February 2022 opened the promotion of Simba’s (Nyamagabe) students’ talent through football games. The activity is also expected to be a channel of evangelism.
By Pheneas Sebeza