It has been said that rugby is a religion in New Zealand. That has certainly appeared the case over the past couple of months as our country has been swept by rugby fever.

Only rugby could knock our worst enviornmental disaster off the front page of daily newspapers and only rugby could delay an election campaign, kicking it into seeming insignificance.

It has taken 24 years, but now we are triumphant in our victory and the country is on a high.

Our national psyche is so melded with rugby that I hate to think what national economic gloom and collective depression we might have plunged into if the unthinkable had happened and Les Bleus had squeaked home. I’ve been cheering as loudly as anyone for the ABs.

But imagine for a moment what this country would be like if New Zealanders were as passionate about their Christian faith as they were about their rugby.

If Christian articles were routinely splashed across the front pages of our national newspapers.

If the country sat glued to its big screen TVs waiting in anticipation for Christian programmes to start that were delivered with verve and passion.

If classrooms of children made giant paper machier models of Jesus, rather than Richie McCaw.

If colourful Christian symbols of crosses and fish fluttered from shopfronts or car flags.

If we happily made welcome complete strangers from around the globe in the name of Jesus.

If complete strangers from around the globe actually wanted to visit New Zealand because of our undying devotion to Jesus.

If we were proud to wear T-shirts and jerseys proclaiming us to be Christ followers.

If talk around the office water cooler revolved around Scriptures or the latest great Christian message.

I dare to suggest that even in the most ardent of our churches we rarely see the same passionate homage that is offered up to our kiwi icon, that “odd shaped ball.”

But just imagine if we did ...

– Fran Pardon