Reflections on the Hillsborough Disaster 20 years on

On Saturday 15 April 1989 Liverpool were due to play Nottingham Forest in an F.A. Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. What promised to be an entertaining and absorbing game involving two of the country's top teams turned into a tragedy when 96 Liverpool supporters died, following overcrowding in the Leppings Lane end of the ground, where the Liverpool supporters were housed.

Today's Football Focus programme on the BBC marked the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough with a special tribute programme, including interviews with some of those who were actually at the match. One couple told of how their two teenage daughters died at Hillsborough. Liverpool hero Steve Gerrard, aged only 9 at the time of the tragedy, lost a cousin. The whole programme was very sensitively produced, and I found it very moving. It is clear that the passing of the years has done little to take away the hurt, pain and great sense of loss.

One interesting element of the Football Focus programme was the fact that in some way the Hillsborough disaster changed the face of football in this country. This can be seen, perhaps, mainly in the way that since 1989 a number of new, all-seater (and therefore much safer) stadiums have been built. Even from such a tragic event, some good has come. It was interesting, too, to hear how such a tragic loss of life caused many people to see that there are some things more important than football. Death can bring true values into sharp focus.

Today is the day after Good Friday, when we remembered the death of Jesus. Jesus' first disciples were devastated when they witnessed Jesus' death. They believed that with his death, all their hopes has disappeared. They were at their lowest point, and life hardly seemed worth living. But what a difference a day makes! On Easter day Jesus rose from the dead! Hope was recreated in the hearts of his people. A hope which is still alive today. In the words of Jesus, 'I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life, and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.'

The image above is of the Hillsborough memorial tablet. The last words on the tablet are from the song which has become a Liverpool theme song: 'You'll never walk alone' Even when we face tragedy in life, if our faith is in Jesus, we know that we really will never walk alone!