Germany’s classy goal last night in the World Cup final made sure it was a worthy winner. The other moment last night was when they showed the sun setting behind the statue of Christ The Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro. It is a hugely famous landmark and one that is very special to the Brazilians. When you look at countries across the world we get a glimpse of the amazing variety of devotion to God. It is such a rich tapestry of colour and sadly there is often so much division about which colour is brightest and best.

It’s one of the biggest traps we fall into thinking we have it all worked out when it comes to God. We never can or never will! But we certainly can get a feel for the bigger picture and that is a good place to be. God’s beauty and love continues to unfold and evolve with every passing day. It is a privilege to get a taste of that each day. Such is the hectic pace of life we can often miss these beautiful moments. But God is indeed alive in every person, from every walk of life, of every faith and religion. The variety is incredible, amazing and unlimited.

The biggest mistake of any religion is to claim ownership or exclusive rights. The wisest religion is the one who thanks God for their pieces but is also willing to embrace the variety of experiences of God that are out there. If each piece, viewpoint or experience of God is a colour, then we truly have an amazing canvas of colours. The World Cup which finished last night was another reminder of this amazing canvas.

Thought For The Week is updated each Monday