{"id":26283,"date":"2026-07-26T18:11:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T18:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/?p=26283"},"modified":"2026-07-26T19:26:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T19:26:31","slug":"when-norway-rowed-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/when-norway-rowed-together\/","title":{"rendered":"When Norway Rowed Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

22 July 2026 | Drammen, Norway [Simen Trolsrud with tedNEWS<\/em>]<\/p>\n

For one unforgettable night, it felt as though all of Norway was breathing, singing and believing as one.<\/p>\n

On 5 July 2026, Norway faced Brazil in the World Cup at New York New Jersey Stadium. For a small football nation like ours, simply returning to the tournament after 28 years was already something to celebrate. But beating Brazil felt almost impossible.<\/p>\n

I watched the match outdoors in the town square of my hometown, surrounded by about 5,000 people.<\/p>\n

It was midnight, but the sky was still bright. That is one of the beautiful things about a Norwegian summer. The sun almost refuses to set, leaving behind a soft light even in the middle of the night. Thousands of us stood together beneath that bright sky.<\/p>\n

Then the unthinkable happened. Norway scored. Then we scored again.<\/p>\n

When the final whistle sounded, the square erupted. People shouted, sang and embraced. I even hugged a stranger. Anyone familiar with Norwegian culture will understand how extraordinary that was. We Norwegians usually appreciate a little personal space. Yet on that night, there were no strangers. There were only Norwegians.<\/p>\n

For a few hours, the things that often separate us seemed to disappear. Political differences did not matter. Social status did not matter. Age, background and personal opinion did not matter. We were united by one team, one hope and one extraordinary result.<\/p>\n

It may have been the greatest sporting moment in Norwegian history. In the days that followed, some people said the victory would permanently change Norway. Could that really be true?<\/p>\n

When everyone rows together<\/h2>\n

One of the most powerful images from Norway\u2019s World Cup journey was the sight of people rowing together<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Supporters sat side by side, moving backwards and forwards in rhythm, as though they were seated in an enormous Viking ship. Players and fans joined the same movement. All of Norway was rowing.<\/p>\n

To row effectively, everyone must move together. One person cannot follow a different rhythm. One person cannot decide to face another direction. The power of the movement lies in everyone pulling together.<\/p>\n

There are not many things in this world around which an entire country can unite. We disagree about politics, economics, culture and religion. We come from different regions and see society in different ways.<\/p>\n

Yet during the World Cup, those differences were put to one side. For a moment, we were one.<\/p>\n

It looked almost like church<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Thousands watch Norway\u2019s match against Brazil on an outdoor screen. For a few hours, strangers became friends, and an entire crowd moved as one<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As I stood in that crowded square, I began to notice something. People were dressed for the occasion. They sang together. They stood, sat, shouted and sometimes prayed. They shared hope, disappointment, fear and joy. It looked almost like church.<\/p>\n

There was community around something we loved. There was passion. There was a shared story. Everyone understood why they had come, and no one needed to be persuaded to participate.<\/p>\n

But there was also one uncomfortable difference. The people in the square were on fire. Nobody was checking the time. Nobody was wondering when the event would end. Nobody was sitting silently while a small number of people did everything at the front. Everyone was involved.<\/p>\n

The crowd possessed a sense of community and passion that many churches can only dream about. But perhaps we should dream about it.<\/p>\n

What would happen if the church became a place where people experienced that kind of belonging? What would happen if our differences were left outside, not because they were unimportant, but because Christ had become more important? What would happen if we entered church with the same expectation, joy and willingness to participate that football supporters bring to a World Cup match?<\/p>\n

The apostle Paul described this kind of community when he wrote: \u201cThere is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus\u201d (Galatians 3:28, NIV).<\/p>\n

Paul was not saying that people lose their identities when they follow Jesus. He was saying that our differences no longer need to divide us. In Christ, we receive a deeper identity. We become members of one family and participants in one mission. We are one in Christ.<\/p>\n

Master of the world<\/h2>\n

There is also something fascinating about the Norwegian name for the World Cup. In Norwegian, the tournament is called verdensmesterskapet<\/em>, which literally means \u201cthe world championship\u201d. The winner becomes verdensmester<\/em>, the world champion, or, more literally, the \u201cmaster of the world\u201d.<\/p>\n

For football supporters, the question is simple: Who will become the master of the world? Every team arrives with that dream. Every player wants to lift the trophy.<\/p>\n

But the joy of football does not last forever. The final whistle will sound. The crowds will go home. The flags will be folded away, and the players will return to their clubs. In four years, another tournament will begin, and another team will compete for the title. Even the greatest football champions are temporary.<\/p>\n

But who is the real Master of the world? For Christians, the answer is not decided in a stadium. Jesus’ victory was not achieved through goals, trophies or VAR decisions.<\/p>\n

\"Simen
Simen Trolsrud takes a selfie as thousands gather behind him to watch Norway face Brazil, united for one unforgettable night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the cross, Jesus appeared to have lost. He was rejected, humiliated and killed. Yet through His death and resurrection, He defeated sin and death. His victory does not belong to one nation. It is offered to every nation.<\/p>\n

The excitement I experienced during the Norway\u2013Brazil match gave me a small picture of unity, but the unity Christ offers is much deeper. Football united us because we supported the same country. Jesus unites us because we have received the same grace.<\/p>\n

After the final whistle<\/h2>\n

The victory over Brazil will remain one of my greatest sporting memories.<\/p>\n

I will remember the bright summer night, the crowded square, the singing and the moment thousands of people realised that Norway had won. I will remember the strangers embracing. I will remember a nation rowing together.<\/p>\n

But I also know that football cannot permanently unite us. Only Christ can do that.<\/p>\n

The World Cup may give us a temporary master of the world, but Jesus remains the true Master of the world. His victory lasts beyond every tournament. His kingdom includes every nation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

[Featured image: Spain\u2019s players celebrate becoming world champions, a title every team dreams of winning, but one that will eventually pass to another. Photo: Bryan Berlin \/ WikiPortraits<\/a>, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Cropped from the original.<\/p>\n

Other photos courtesy of Simen Trolsrud]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One unforgettable match, one deeper spiritual lesson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":26284,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26283"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26307,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26283\/revisions\/26307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}