Would Jesus Head-Butt Someone for a Racial and Religious Slur?

Are you like me? Were you watching the final game of the World Cup in complete amazement when Zinedine Zidane seemed to completely lose his mind midway through the second overtime? Did you see this?

The French captain, and arguably the best player in the game of soccer, turned around, walked up to Italian player Marco Materazzi and jut slammed his shaved-head into the solar plexus of the defender. Materazzi crumbled to the pitch like a jenga tower during the '89 Loma Prieta. Zidane got a red card. Italy beat France in penalty kicks.

This was astounding for several reasons.

1. I'm watching soccer.
2. I'm excited about watching soccer.
3. Zidane would go on to win the "Golden Ball", a recognition for the best player in the tournament
4. France coach Raymond Domenech said on record that Zidane's moment of madness cost Les Bleus the World Cup.

So why did one of the most distinguished and decorated and venerated and venerable players in soccer lose his mind? I don't know. But I watched a lot of replays, and there was a lot of shoving and pushing by both teams. But that probably wasn't the proverbial straw. There was also a lot of stress on both teams - this was the World Cup Final, after all. But Zidane had been there before, and won it. So I don't know if that was the only reason, either.

In replays, Zidane gets tangled up a bit with Materazzi, and then jobs away. Materazzi is seen to say something. Zidane turns around. Materazzi says something again. And that's when Zidane goes nuts.

So what did Materazzi say?

Apparently, according to ESPN, Materazzi called Zidane - who is the son of immigrants from the North African nation of Algeria - a "dirty terrorist." You can read the story here

You don't have to know much history to know that the tensions in France about immigrants from North Africa go beyond simple cultural lines (especially in regard to Algeria). There is a real religious and ethnic fear and distrust in France - and in Europe - about Muslims from North Africa.

So Materazzi's comments were not only religious in nature, but political and racial. A veritable hat-trick for the Italian - if it's true, that is.

But let's pretend for a second that the comment was said. Is Zidane's reaction good? If he were your son, what would you have had him do?

I remember when Indiana Pacer Ron Artest went into the stands and beat the living crap out of a fan for yelling racial slurs at him. Everyone was shocked and appalled. I don't know why. Let's say you're walking down the street and this super-athletic, 6'7" muscled black man walks by. Let's say you start yelling racial slurs at that guy. What's going to happen? You're going to get your ass kicked. As my friend Jon Fortt said shortly after the incident, "Why should it be different in a sports arena?"

I think there is a large volume of people in the world who might say that if someone has the gall to make such comments, they should have their ribs broken. Preferably by a head butt by the world's best player in soccer.

And if it is true that Zidane cost his team and his country the world cup defending his family heritage, his country of origin and his ethnicity and religion and race? Well - he might say - some things are more important than soccer...and some things are definately worth a head butt to the chest.

Of course, I'm not sure how this whole "reaction of vengeance" fits with the command of Jesus to "turn the other cheek." What are the spiritual implications of reacting like Zidane? What are the implications of not doing anything? In the words of Crotian theologian Miroslav Volf, "Rage belongs before God. It is the only safe place for it."

So what are your thoughts about this final image of Zidane?