That's For You, Son

For better or worse, I've been a football supporter for most of my life. I realise that there are people in the world who can't stand football (sadly, my wife is one of them!) Personally, I have found lots of enjoyment in football, though I do tend to agree with those who are of the opinion that football at the top level has lost some of its connection with ordinary supporters, not least through the vast amounts of money which the top players are paid.

In a sense, my football experience has been an image of life in general: there have been tremendous highs and lows over the years. As a lifelong supporter of Hull City I have lived through relegations, dismal performances, and a time when the club looked as through financial woes would drive it out of business. I have also had many times of celebration at wonderful performances, promotions and last minute winners.

Undoubtedly the highlight was the Wembley play-off final victory in 2008, a result which saw the Tigers achieve promotion to the Premiership for the first time in their history. What topped that weekend off (my first ever visit to Wembley) was that on the following day Doncaster Rovers (a team which I also support as the club chaplain) also achieved play-off final victory at Wembley. My best ever football weekend!

But I have to say that the emotion experienced at a recent Rovers' home match was deeper that anything I had previously experienced. One of Rovers' star players, Billy Sharp, had just experienced the tragedy of the death of his two day old son, Luey. It came as a great shock to everyone when Billy decided that, notwithstanding his personal tragedy, he wanted to play in the match.

Before the match kicked off, both sets of players stood in the centre of the pitch and, together with the supporters of both teams, offered a minutes' applause in Luey's memory. A hugely emotional moment. When Billy scored the opening goal of the match with a superb volley, there were great cheers and much celebration. Billy lifted up his football shirt to reveal a t-shirt underneath bearing the words, “That's For You Son”. It's a moment I will probably never forget. Even the national media took up this heartbreaking yet remarkable story.

At the centre of the Christian faith is a cross. A strange symbol, perhaps, as the cross was a place of suffering and death. It was on the cross that God's Son, Jesus, hung and died. God knows what it is like to suffer the death of his Son. Jesus died on a cross so that our sin could be dealt with. Through faith in him we know can know forgiveness, and have the assurance of eternal life. That's how much God loves us. When we look at the cross we discover God's message to us and to the world, “That's For You”

When tragedy strikes

Each Tuesday at Priory we have a lunchtime service. This week’s service took the form of a “Songs of Praise”. The lunchtime service regulars had been invited to choose their favourite hymn. One of the hymn choices was an old favourite, “What a friend we have in Jesus”, written by Joseph Scriven. Joseph Scriven was born in Banbridge, Co. Down, Ireland. In 1845 tragedy entered his life when his fiancée was drowned on the night before they were to be married. The grief-stricken young man moved to Canada. There he again fell in love, and was due to be married, when the young woman suddenly fell ill of pneumonia and died.

When tragedy strikes, we have the choice of either blaming God and turning away from him, or turning to him for strength to carry on. Scriven chose the latter, and devoted the rest of his life to helping others. Some time later he wrote a poem to comfort his mother, which he called "Pray Without Ceasing". It was later set to music and renamed, becoming the much loved hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". The hymn is a great reminder that whatever happens in life, in Jesus we have a friends who will never desert us.

Steven Curtis Chapman is a well known Christian singer-songwriter. He, too, experienced tragedy when his daughter Maria died. I have recently bought his album “beauty will rise”, which arose from his experience of loss. It is an amazing album, in which Chapman so beautifully explores the issues of pain, loss, anger, despair, hope, faith. Out of all the questioning comes the ultimate message of the album, hope will rise.

Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t make us immune to hard times, but it does mean that we have One who will see us through. It’s hard to pick out one track from Chapman’s album, but try this one: “Jesus Will Meet You There”