Famously, Liverpool fans sing “You'll never walk alone” from the musical Carousel; West Ham fans sing “I'm forever blowing bubbles”; Hibernian fans sing “Sunshine on Leith”; and Newcastle fans sing “Blaydon Races.” Other songs transcend individual clubs and are sung by many fans, such as “We are the Champions” and “Sweet Caroline.” Another song in this latter category is “Freed from desire.”
When I was chaplain to the Scunthorpe United Academy, the U18s team would often play this song as part of their pre-match playlist. This always struck me as slightly odd as although the the music and rhythm are invigorating, the wish to be freed from desire doesn't seem to be the best motivation for going into a competitive match! I'm sure that it will be said many times during the World Cup that poor performances from teams are because of a lack of desire.
The song itself is actually a reflection of Eastern spirituality, especially Buddhism – that's the 'strong beliefs' referred to. The singer's love has been freed from the desire for money, power and fame, and his mind and senses have been purified, unlike other people who just want more and more. This seems to be similar to Jesus' teaching “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 5:19-20), and also to the apostle Paul's “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
However, the reason these desires should be avoided in Buddhism is because never-ending desires and cravings that cannot be quenched cause suffering. Buddha taught that even the desire not to desire is in itself a desire, and as such a source of suffering. Therefore the solution is to cultivate non-attachment to everything – including the idea that there is a permanent essence of anything.
In contrast, the Bible teaches us that the created world was good and that humans made it very good, because we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1 and 2). We are created to be in eternal relationship with God, but humanity's sin has corrupted us and the world. Therefore our desires are now not for God but for earthly 'treasures.' The good news, however, is that through trust in Jesus' death and resurrection, we can be freed from those desires and enjoy the abundant, eternal life with God that we were created for.
image by Prawny from Pixabay
