Last night sat with my friends (all male) watching England crash out (deservedly) to the Italians on penalties, I asked (whiningly), "Why do I get so emotionally involved in this??".
My wife often argues that she should get a refund on our relationship; apparantly I told her while courting, 'I'm not really into sport that much'. Whoops?!
The opposite really is quite true...I adore sport. In fact, and my wife will hate this, I really don't have enough of it in my life: playing it, watching it, talking about it.
Sadly, I wonder whether there isn't a snobbish-ness in Christian circles that this obsession with sport is rather too worldly and physical - it's just not spiritual enough. And as I looked around at my mates last night, chatting about plans to go watch a Blackburn Rovers-Crystal Palace game this coming season, the following thoughts crossed my mind: how do we make more space for blokey blokes in churches...? Is there something godly in this enjoyment of sport?
Analysis of failure
I've enjoyed listening to and reading the commentaries/editorials/blogs about the latest England tournament competition: the debrief is often the most enjoyable element (especially after last night's turgid offering). As an England fan I agree that we had some very tired players last night: Ashley Young underperformed in all four games, none of the inventiveness or flair he's shown for his club team; James Milner and Scott Parker worked hard (one fan described Milner as a Hamster on a Wheel! (lol)) but endeavour and a willingness to put your body on the line isn't enough at International level; Theo Walcott made an impressive cameo against Sweden but his two subsequent appearances were ineffectual; and, most especially for me, Wayne Rooney simply didn't look fit. He lacked the pace, touch or shots to warrrant his hyped tag as England's best.The real 'heroes' were the defence - and our captain 'fantastic' Steven Gerrard. But...wait one moment...before you think I've disolved into hyperbole: our captain fantastic was chasing shadows last night - not released to dictate play (which Roy Hodgson (manager) clearly understands is Gerrard's natural role - centre-right midfield with some licence to move...don't get me started on how other managers have failed to use Gerrard to his abilities); our defence was more fortunate than obdurate against Italy; and Joe Hart - "one of the best keepers in the world" - flapped and punched too much, to say nothing of the clearly pointless last-minute revision and face-pulling he partook of in the penalty shoot-out.
That said - Glenn Johnson put in his best performance for England to date - his block in the last ten minutes was top-draw - and John Terry (whom I much malign...normally) was solid.
But as the inquiry continues, and English players are compared with their Italian opposites, particularly the "peerless" Andrea Pirlo, what does all this male-hero-searching really say? (As an aside I thought it laughable that the BBC pundits sought to clutch at straws at half-time by suggesting Pirlo would tire in the second half...ah well!)
Gideon
(If you celebrated the Birth of John the Baptist yesterday) Today's Morning Prayer Old Testament reading was Judges 8:22-35.Gideon had been appointed by God to lead the Israellites in their uprising against the Midianites. His successful leadership led to the request for Gideon to be Israel's ruler (Judg. 8:22)...and not just Gideon but his son and grandson...a whole new dynasty.
We're so easy to acclaim individuals - aren't we?! We so quickly want to take someone who's successful on one occasion and stick them on some sort of pedestal. I, for one, am really nervous about the pressure the British Olympic athletes are being placed under. Jessica Ennis (English heptathlete) on the radio this morning sounded genuinely worried about letting the country down.
In Gideon's case he actually understood the error in the request to make him ruler - instead pointing out that Israel had one ruler - the Lord, Yahweh (v.23)
But....but...but...
The request had ensnared his heart and he makes an ephod, which in turn is worshipped by the people (vv.24-27).
"But alas! the way of the flesh is unbelief; though Gideon refused their proposals it affected his spirit. He seemed afterwards desirous to be something and to connect the deliverance [defeat of Midian] with himself. Gideon broke down. Sorrow and darkness shrouded the rest of his history and that of his family. That is an impressive lesson of the need of abiding in dependence upon God, walking in faith before Him. No past victories will secure the next step. " Taken from here.
So Gideon makes an ephod - the Israelites worship it.
But worse still...
Gideon dies - the Israelites immediately "prostituted themselves to the Baals" (v.33)
No sooner had Gideon died, than the Israelites - the very people who had offered Gideon's son and grandson the throne - turned their backs on God himself.
And so the pattern would go, for hundreds more years to come. Over...and over...and over again....the Israelites would put all their devotion and hope into men, individual men....Judges for now, then kings...and sometimes even Priests...but ever and always they would turn back to Baal...away from God.
Hope springs eternal
England fans are accustomed, by now, to expect failure with Penalties - 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, and 2012...over...and over...and over again. And still we turn back and believe.Why? Why do players like Rooney, Hart and Gerrard get lauded so?
Because we want a Gideon - we want a hero.
Perhaps, we are not so dissimilar to Gideon's followers...we want to be ruled, to have someone to idolise, to follow, to honour...
And so we must hear Gideon's call, "The LORD will rule over you" (Judg. 8:23)
We must not mistake the vessel for the deliverer - we must not worship or idolise the created over the creator.
We are to have one hope, one God.
So, while many across the country mourn with seriousness and depression another failed campaign, Christians dissimilarly disappointed should move quickly beyond this frustration and look back to our real hope, the one in whom we can place all our hope and trust. Jesus.
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Interesting thoughts, my young padewan learner. I wonder about your comment about allowing for more blokey blokes in church. Not sure emotional engagement in our maddening and wonderful national sport is the exclusive reserve of men. Rather I think we should be allowing for normal people in church. Normal people love football and don't have an enormous long list of mental problems and issues of depression, but it's those folk who tend to gravitate to church because people are nice to them. Which is great, and I don't wish to denigrate those issues, but if we are just looking for normal to be mates with, of either gender, with whom we can laugh and talk about sport, then our evangelism will happen organically and with far more integrity. And normal people who might come along (or be dragged along by a Christian spouse) to church will want to stay because they have found that there are normal people in church too. Two of my best mates in Bletchley have come to faith after being invited to Alpha, after a long period of hanging out (often watching sport of some description), nights out and sharing lots of laughs. It was a great joy when both asked me to be godfather to their respective sons. So how do we make church more attractive to blokey blokes? Be mates with them. God'll figure out the rest. He might even involve you....
ReplyDeleteCheers Ian.
ReplyDeleteYup - agree entirely. I think we're kind of on to this at present. We've got a five aside team that plays in a local league - a few of the lads who play aren't churchy at all (hence their tendency to take the first swing in some on-pitch scraps). And we're thinking about a sci-fi club for the less sporty-more geeky entourage.
I think my concern is more theological. Sports are tolerated (if not frowned upon) as a somehow aberate expression of unregenerate masculinity. I can't help thinking we're wired this way - to enjoy sport for sports sake. I'm not alone in asking, 'what does it mean to be a man?' in order to mitigate the feminisation of blokes in Church, and also the sanitisation of the more agressive moments in scripture...