The Gospel According To Ted Lasso:
It’s the same as the Gospel According To Jesus: believe.
As I expected, various denominations have latched onto Ted Lasso, the award-winning comedy created by Jason Sudeikis about an American footbal coach hired by a scorned, vengeful owner to coach an English soccer team.
Ted’s motto is exactly the same as Jesus: believe. Mention the word ‘believe’ to any Christian and they’ll automatically insert ‘in God’
That’s all that needs to be said. Believe. But because people have beliefs about beliefs, they automatically and needlessly insert their beliefs, unbeliefs, misbeliefs, and disbeliefs about the topic at hand as if belief in God is the be all, cure all.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people, believers and non-believers alike, have beliefs about beliefs but never take the time to examine their beliefs. Neither do institutions of higher learning be they religious or philosophical, or what have you.
The fact of the matter is nobody has ever articulated how beliefs work until I figured it out and was able to condense it into 21 words that bypass the omnipresent eternal power of beliefs. It’s this power of belief that can be used for good or bad depending on what one believes.
How this is not obvious in Genesis 3 illustrates the power of belief. It exasperated Jesus to no end. “How long do I have to put up with you!?” (Mark 9:19). See, you sow and reap instantly whatever you believe. Eve believed a lie and instantly she felt it, thought it, and acted it.
She felt fear. It occupied her mind. It controlled her action. These three continued to manifest more of the same fear, thoughts, and actions.
Miracles
Jesus’ belief in himself was his sole source of power. He performed miracles for people who were enslaved by obedience to laws, making Jesus a habitual lawbreaker and a threat to Phariseean business model which resulted in the 400 years long Roman occupation of Jerusalem.
Put it this way: the Pharisees belief that obedience to laws had the same effect as Eve’s belief that she was not like God: occupied by fear. The Pharisees doubled down, doubled down, and doubled down so many times that they wound oppressing their own people.
Along comes Jesus to point out that morality or immorality is symptomatic of one’s belief. If you believe that you are like God, you will feel, think, and act it. Feel love. Love Occupies your mind. You love others.
Believe. All things are possible for him who believes.
Not for him who believes in, just for him who believes.
Do you believe?
