Blood, Sweat & Treason

Last week I had the privilege of attending an event in a church in Sheffield. Henry Olonga, the former Zimbabwean test cricketer, was sharing something of his life story. It was a fascinating evening, as the audience listened with wrapt attention. We heard about key elements of his life, from his birth in Zambia, to his parents' separation, to life growing up in Zimbabwe, his Christian conversion, life as an international cricketer and beyond. Olonga also has a fine singing voice, and he sang several songs during gthe evening.

Of course, Zimbabwe has had a very troubled recent history, and Henry Olonga related how he came to recognise the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Zimbabwean authorities. He had a growing sense that he could not remain silent in the face of what was happening.

During the Cricket World Cup in 2003, Olonga and team-mate Andy Flower took the brave decision to wear black armbands to protest against the policies of Zimbabwe's government, led by Robert Mugabe. He and Flower released a statement, stating in part:

“In all the circumstances, we have decided that we will each wear a black armband for the duration of the World Cup. In doing so we are mourning the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe. In doing so we are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. In doing so, we pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our nation.”

This act led to a warrant issued in Zimbabwe for Olonga's arrest on charges of treason (which carries the death penalty in Zimbabwe) and forced him to retire from international cricket and temporarily go into hiding.

Olonga made it clear in what he said that his Christian faith played a large part in helping him come to the decision to take such a stand, at the risk of his own personal safety. His action resulted in the end of his international cricketing career. As I heard him speak, I asked myself whether I would have taken such a stand. And that’s a challenging question. I’m looking forward to reading Henry Olonga’s new book, Blood, Sweat and Treason.

In my last blog I wrote about a situation which one of my daughters faced with a burst pipe at her home during the severe December weather. To cut a long story short, the resulting damage was such that it forced her to move out of her rented house.

Thankfully everything worked out for good, as she was able to find a better house, and with the help of family and friends was able to get moved and settled in within a few days. I made the point that even bad things which happen in our lives can be turned to good by God.

Of course, the situation which my daughter faced, hard though it seemed at the time, can hardly be called a tragedy. I received an e-mail today which did relate a recent tragic situation, when a young man in his late 20s died very suddenly. I cannot imagine what a painful situation that must be for his parents and the rest of his family and friends. The family involved are a Christian family. Such cases as this truly test the reality (or otherwise) of a person's faith. It's easy to believe in the good times; the real test comes when the storms rage around us. I read a note from the mother of the young man, and was so encouraged (and challenged) by what she wrote:

"Luke’s family, his colleagues and friends, and church friends in Sheffield and Manchester, wish to thank everyone for their cards, messages, prayers and practical support which has made this tragic situation so much easier to deal with, and the comments are making people cry, laugh and feel blessed for having known Luke."

She ended the letter by quoting from St Paul's letter to the church in Rome: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". (Romans 8: 28. That truly is a wonderful example of faith which has been tested and has stood the test.

It's strange how things work out...

I'm still experiencing the after-glow of a great Christmas. On Christmas day itself we had all our three children with us, two of them with their marriage partners. We attended Christmas Day service at church, which was fairly informal and a great way to begin the celebrations of Jesus' birth.

We opened some presents before church, the rest when we returned, as we waited for Christmas dinner. I had some excellent presents this year (including two sonic screwdrivers!) After dinner we played games and had many laughs together. A lovely family day.

On the Wednesday after Christmas we hosted the annual family party, when we welcomed around 25 members of our wider family. Although the day was hectic and noisy, it was another much enjoyed occasion.

The only sour note from the holiday period came when Caz, our elder daughter, received a phone call from her landlady in Llanelli to say that there had been a pipe burst in the loft of her house which had cased major damage. Naturally this was very upsetting for Caz, especially as her house contents were not insured! It was clear that the damage to the house would make it impossible for Caz to continue to live there. As a consequence, she had to cut short her stay with us and travel back to Llanelli, accompanied by Sue (mother-comfort is a great thing in hard times!)

To cut a long story short, within the space of just a few days they managed, along with help from church friends, to clear Caz's belongings out of the house (they were stored temporarily at church), find a new (and better) house, buy some new items for the house, and get Caz moved in before she was due back at school (where she teaches) today!

Compared with the disaster which this episode could have turned into, something of a miracle has taken place. Caz is so delighted with how things have worked out. I can't help thinking of a verse in St Paul's letter to the church in Rome, where he writes, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Rom. 8:28). As we approach a new year, with all its apparent uncertainties, how fantastic to know that if we put our trust in God, he can weave even the toughest of situations into something good.