UNITING TWO MARCHING BANDS
Beginning in 1977, many colleges began a tradition of playing a few regular-season football games outside the US. Dublin, Ireland, has been a frequent venue, hosting three games since 2022. The 2025 season will see Kansas State University square off against Iowa State University in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Both schools maintain enormous marching bands, with several hundred members. However, “only” 111 musicians from each school are making the trip to the Emerald Isle. They will unite to play as one during halftime, performing three rock songs by American band, Journey. “We didn’t want to go to Ireland and do Irish music,” said Frank Tracz, Kansas State’s Director of the band. “They want to see American stuff, with American bands. So these are two great bands coming together to show them that.”

UNITING TWO ETHNIC GROUPS
Before Christ’s death on the cross, humanity was divided into two groups based on ethnicity: Jews and Gentiles. At Calvary, Jesus brought all people together, uniting them in His body and making peace. No longer are Gentiles without God or without hope. Jews and Gentiles are now on equal footing, able to receive reconciliation with God by faith. All of humanity can have salvation through the one Savior, Jesus Christ.

Questions

• If you could attend a sporting event in any location (even a non-traditional one), where would that be?
• What’s one way that you see people divided in our world today, and how you would like to see them reconciled?
• How can Jesus create one new humanity out of two, and why does He bring peace?