Sauce, soccer, solidarity
Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you’ve probably heard that the World Cup is currently taking place in multiple cities throughout North America. This international soccer tournament hosts 48 teams from around the world and millions of committed fans eager to support their team.
Similar to the Olympics, part of the joy of such an event, besides witnessing incredible athletic talent, is showcasing some of the local culture of the host countries. And it seems that many visitors to the United States have found a bit of a new obsession: ranch dressing.
Numbers of tourists from all around the world have been documenting their reactions to this condiment… calling it downright addictive and pairing it with everything from pizza to French fries to chicken wings.
Apparently, this delicacy many Americans take for granted is practically unknown to the rest of the world. World Cup visitors have become so enamored with ranch dressing that they’ve been stuffing large containers of it in their carry-on bags, prompting a warning from TSA.
Last week, the TSA issued a public statement reminding all travelers that yes, ranch dressing is subject to standard carry-on liquid limits of no more than 3.4 ounces. If they want to avoid having to consume the sauce outside security, their best bet is to place any purchased ranch in checked baggage.
There’s been lots of jokes about this new viral obsession, especially since Americans themselves might debate the appeal of ranch dressing. But there’s also a real beauty to this recent craze that goes well beyond any certain sauce.
It’s the genuine curiosity on the part of these World Cup fans to learn and discover all sorts of new things about each other. Yes, trying new foods of the host countries, but even things as simple as learning the flags or native languages of the various countries or cheering on players they didn’t know until the last 10 days or so.
As another beautiful example, when the men’s national team of Algeria was assigned Lawrence, Kansas, as their homebase for the tournament, members of the University of Kansas marching band learned the country’s national anthem and played it as the team arrived for their first practice.
There is a true gift in these international events that remind us we have more in common with our sisters and brothers around the world than whatever might divide us. We have so much to learn from each other and so many gifts to share with one another.
It reminds me of some of my favorite words of Paul, from Romans, chapter 12. He writes, “Love should be shown without pretending… Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. Live in harmony with each other and consider everyone as equal.”
I sometimes wish we could have many more of these international events that bring out the best of everyone involved. Even in the midst of competition, there’s so much we can learn from one another and so much to appreciate about those we might otherwise consider our enemy. It turns out all we need to help bridge our differences is a few soccer games, a little curiosity, and some ranch dressing.
