FIFA's Unexpected Leap Into Peace

Well now, folks, it seems that FIFA, usually up to their eyeballs in soccer antics, has decided to dive into world peace. They've concocted a new accolade, the FIFA Peace Prize, which they plan to hand out during the World Cup draw this December. Makes you think, doesn’t it? Like hosting a Nobel Prize ceremony at the county fair or giving away free lefse at a summer picnic. (And if you’ve never had lefse, picture a Norwegian tortilla, as light as a whisper.)

It's funny how growing up sneaks up on you. One minute you're avoiding Aunt Mabel’s infamous fruitcake at family gatherings, and the next, you're pondering if FIFA's peace efforts are just as muddled. Apparently, they’ve got President Trump getting chummy with their president, Gianni Infantino, exchanging polite chatter in Miami. Word on the street is, Trump might be eyeing that peace prize himself. Kind of like when Cousin Ernie promised he’d stop snoring; he just moved to another chair at Thanksgiving. Well, we’ll see how all that pans out.

Infantino’s reflections on a divided world and striving for peace feel like a familiar hymn, lofty but well-intentioned. He calls Trump a close friend, praising his energy and straightforwardness. (Around here, we’d call that “speaking Minnesotan”, plain as a gravel road.) You’ve got to chuckle when big-wigs gather just like we do in the church basement over weak coffee and hearty gossip.

Interestingly, FIFA put Trump's daughter Ivanka on the board of a big education initiative funded by World Cup ticket sales. Kind of reminds me of a barn raising, where everyone lends a hand, though with a bit more glitz and a bigger budget. In this global neighborhood, we all find ways to pitch in.

Come December, as folks huddle around their TVs to watch the spectacle, you can bet a billion eyes will be on it. We've all seen awards handed out before, enough drama there to rival the Fourth of July pie-eating contest. As Grandpa used to say, "It's a bit like pickling cucumbers; you’ve got to wait to see how it turns out." These events can feel as remote as Aunt Edna’s wild tales from youth. But be it a grand stage or a Lutheran potluck, there’s something to be said for efforts to bring folks together.

Speaking of uniting, I recall a story from my church choir days. Sister Agnes used to talk about the harmony needed to make a choir soar. She’d say, “Sing like nobody’s listening, but remember, they'll tell you if you're off-key.” Isn’t that just like international relations, hoping everyone catches the right notes?

Whether FIFA’s peace prize is a sincere move forward or just another curious addition to life’s strange symphony, only time will tell. But one thing’s clear, whether in small gatherings or grand gestures, we all muddle through life's complexity, trying to make sense of a world as puzzling as Uncle Joe’s directions at the family reunion. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the most connecting thought of all.

So, let’s take a moment to appreciate the irony of it all. FIFA, often critiqued for its peculiar bureaucracy (like trying to find a needle in a haystack), is now stepping towards peace. It’s like unearthing Grandma’s pie recipe in a pile of bills. While I meander (as I often do), let’s remember that peace, whether in a church or on a soccer field, is much like making good lefse, it requires patience and a bit of love.