Earlier this week, Bukayo Saka, a rising star in the English football team, answered an interesting question during a press conference at the World Cup in Qatar. The journalist asked Saka whether he was still studying scripture. The 21-year-old Arsenal player, well known for his Christian faith, candidly replied:

“I read my Bible every night, I’ve been continuing to do that out here. For me, it is really important to have the presence of God in me all the time and it gives me more confidence to know that God’s plan is perfect. So I can go on the pitch and know that God has my back”.

“But the main thing for me is just keeping my faith. Just having faith in God so I don’t need to be nervous or worry about any outcomes because obviously this is my first World Cup. You know, I can start worrying about different things and different outcomes, but instead I just choose to put my faith in God”.

This interview was widely shared by many of the daily nationals and news websites. Saka, however, could not be accused of Bible bashing. He was able to articulate his belief in an authentic and endearing way. He is at ease with himself and his beliefs. What an incredible witness. I would definitely sign up for his evangelism course!

After watching the interview, I immediately shared the clip with my 15-year-old football-mad son, Thomas. Thomas has been brought up in the church and is now at that age when he is moving away from his parents’ faith and discovering God for himself. His world is full of celebrities, actors, TikTok stars and Instagram influencers trying to convince him to live according to his desires rather than the Word of God. Saka’s declaration of faith was a breath of fresh air. Here is a man who loves football and God. I couldn’t ask for a greater role model for my son to follow. My prayer is that Saka’s words will deeply affect our children and young people to live lives sold out for the purposes of God.

Personally, I cannot help but be inspired by Saka’s courage. To publicly confess your Christian faith in 2022 is a brave thing to do. Gone are the days when a celebrity could reveal their faith in the pages of a magazine or an analogue television programme, and you could write a letter in response to the magazine’s editor or Points of View. In these days of the 24-hour news cycle and social media, the moment you share an opinion or belief, everyone and their dog feels that they have the right to share their thoughts. Some of these comments are encouraging, however, the majority, hidden by anonymity, are negative.

In recent years, people who profess faith in Christ in areas like politics and the media have faced growing intolerance and hostility. They are treated differently to people with other faiths and beliefs. Tim Farron, during the 2017 General Election, was barraged with questions about his faith and beliefs regarding sexuality, Jacob Rees Mogg’s Catholic faith is regularly berated, and a number of Christians endeavouring to be selected as MPs have had the faith questioned in public meetings. As a result, Christians are hesitant to express their beliefs in the public square for fear of reprisal.

How can we remedy this? Firstly, we need to ensure that our decision-makers do more to encourage tolerance and respect when it comes to Christian people entering public life. Democracies must ensure that all people feel free to live by and express their faith. Secondly, as Christians, we need to be ambassadors of tolerance and respect. Let’s disagree well! Finally, and more importantly, we need ask to God for boldness and courage for ourselves and Christians in the public square. This is not the time to withdraw but rather take every occasion to speak about our God. We must refuse to be ashamed of gospel. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans that it this gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

Let us be encouraged by Saka’s declaration of faith. He has clearly shown us what it is to be salt and light. Let us endeavour to bring God’s flavours and colours to our public square. I am confident that as a result of Saka’s words people will be drawn to God. Now, let’s go out and do the same!

This article is written by CARE's Director of Advocacy and Policy, Louise Davies.