October 2026: Paris Riots, American Football, & French Church

Photo: Quick dinner after our church plant with a few newcomers – 8 nationalities at the table.

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Instagram Post – Paris Riots

However, in our view, France is a nation in great transition, economically, culturally and with its civic life. When you have for decades been a generous state with a promise to all, and you fall short, all will ultimately feel the brunt of those unmet promises. Add to this some strains of nihilism and revolt, it can lead to a cauldron.

This world is not heaven, and all places have their problems. Yet we can all aim for our life to be lived in a safe place for our neighbors, and most importantly our children. We pray for that. We would all support, even fight for that.

So pray for France, Paris, its leaders, its citizens, its churches.  We aim to be here and minister in this beautiful land, with its remarkable language and history, much of which helped shape and forge our own nation.

Our family and church is well.  France is struggling.   Pray for healing, peace, and flourishing for French cities and all those who reside in them. We are.

– LINDA

As Christians, our hope is the antidote to hedonism, quiet despair, or nihilism.

Regardless of the current political climate, our Acts 1:8 mission stays the same: to re-orient neighbors, friends, businesses, & politicians to a hope that never fails.  How we define courage matters.  Often courage is used as a tool of selfish desire for personal glory, for personal interest or agendas that only benefit a limited worldview.

As Christians, courageous decisions – in our politics and in our daily lives – need to be based on :

 “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.“

Philippians 4:8

The true litmus test is that many would agree with how you define what is true, lovely, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy – even your enemies! A begrudging acknowledgment of your definition only comes from your self-sacrifice. And sacrifice, counter-intuitive to our flesh, is only possible if our pleasure is a treasure tucked away, impenetrable by the politics of this world.

Instagram Reel:  Connection & Joy amidst Tension 

Caption:  Saturday October 24th – Paris.  We had dinner in central Paris this past Thursday night.  Connection is key & we haven’t stopped meeting with believers & seekers who come to our church plant.  We are blessed to have both enter our doors at a church in a cafe.  Pray for Paris this weekend 🙏.  

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Instagram Post – American Football & Across the Atlantic

Photo:  EIC Men’s gathering for American football

 – JOHN HUGH

Sports can be a unifying force, even amongst competitors, and even if you don’t know the game.  It bridges cultural barriers and reinforces others.  

A better way of putting it – if you don’t know what to say, it gives you something to talk about it.  This is the case from  Myrtle to Etta, Oxford to Tuscaloosa, New York to Boston (perhaps), and Paris to Johannesburg or Auckland.  

There are extreme examples too.  Watch the great film Joyeux Noël, of the Christmas truce of 1914, where Germans, French, and Scots played football (soccer) together outside the trenches.  

Or the 2001 World Series, helping a nation move forward, and allowing a nation for the first time together cheer for the NY Yankees (they did lose).  

On much, much, minor scales, getting together for sporting events has helped us befriend, grow, and learn.  We’ve seen the passion for PSG.  We’ve shared the passion for Hotty Toddy.  Sports is a connector, and people want to connect.  So we’ve had church gatherings over several events – American football, other’s truer football (soccer again) and rugby.  Just as nations, cultures, and languages are in fact tied together, so are these three sports.  We die-hard fans may simply not realize, or admit it.  

If you want to learn about a people or culture, going to both the heart of a person as well as the grand arenas (for many the real cathedrals) is a good start.  From Wembley Stadium to Madison Square Garden to Fenway Park to Melbourne Cricket Grounds, Estadio Azteca or Augusta National , they’ve formed us by watching or going.  And then to hear the personal stories – of first picking up a ball, watching games with family and friends, or the past dreams of making that game-winning shot.  

For me, it was watching Ole Miss gams with Dad, then with him and our oldest.  Or it was listening to David Kellum while driving or working in the yard.  And that’s only one story of many.  Taking the time to listen to others, grows a love for sport, their sports, and even displays the deeper humanity it brings out – the passion, loss, and love – for family, people, place – home.  Even from far away.  

Instagram Reel:  American Football & PSG Soccer    

Caption:  Even with the Paris riots, we are trying to find ways to unite and bring people together.   

Instagram Reel – French Church

October 25, 2026:  French church this morning (our English service is in the afternoon in a cafe). We are not just in France for Anglophone speakers like our church plant @eicrivegauche. 

We are here to build French community 🇫🇷 as well. 

Instagram Reel:  John Hugh Preaching in French

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