A Rabbit from the Hat...

If you enjoy writing, or in my case, addicted to it, do you ever suffer from writer's block? That is if I understand the term correctly, wanting to go ahead but have absolutely no idea what to write about? Fortunately, with me, that's not often the case, but I feel it this week. I seem to have run out of new ideas. Therefore, with God's help, I will challenge myself to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Perhaps this may be out of an uneventful week. Saving, of course, the ongoing unrest over Brexit at Westminster, and oh yes, the rather astonishing victory for England over a very famous New Zealand All Blacks this morning as our team scored 19 points to their 7. And that despite the game featuring two no-tries by the England team. Had these scores been valid, England could have won with a total of 33 points, including conversions and penalties. At least for England fans, this must have been a wonderful dose of elixir amid the ongoing and never-ending disputes in Parliament, such political issues quite likely making this country a laughing stock internationally.

Perhaps we needn't worry. France is getting fed up with us. At a meeting at Brussels with reps from all 27 nations making up the EU, only French President Emmanuel Macron stood up against a three-month extension, whilst the other 26 seemed to be okay with the extended delay. As a result, if a no-deal Brexit takes place at the end of this month, then it will be more of France kicking us out of the EU rather than us merely walking away. How appropriate too, if this whole shenanigan happens to take place at Halloween, while the first name of the French president means God with us. Is there something in all this, perhaps a joke somewhere?

And like the previous week, there I sat among fans at Ascot life Church, watching the game from the same screen where the words of Christian songs are normally displayed. Too bad, as luck would have it, by oversleeping, I got up late, and despite cycling fast over the four-mile journey, I missed the first seven minutes of the first half - within such a short space of time, England had already scored their first try and conversion, making their score already seven points up upon their opponents as I walked into the building, damp with sweat. By missing the opening score has put a damper on the whole day, and I can only imagine the wild, excited cheers among the audience. Too bad those wooden rotating rattles don't exist any more, they were banned in 1970. Or else there would have been one big party at Ascot Life Church.

The cheers from the predominantly-male audience rose every time the ball fell into the hands of an England player, let alone scoring a try or even a drop-goal. Everyone that is except me, who merely clapped like a toff at the Oval or at Wimbledon. Indeed, cheering at a game has never been my forte, especially after missing the first vital seven minutes. Rather, I was far more content in pitting my wits and physical prowess against competing cyclists at a triathlon event during my heyday of the 1980s. And where two wheels are concerned, I did pretty well.

Rugby is a game I prefer watching than Association Football (or Soccer.) Too often, football ends in a draw, often a goalless draw, which means another thirty minutes of play, and if still no result, then a penalty shootout if not a replay at a later date. As I see it, a penalty shootout is just a hollow victory for the winning team. As such, I tend to find watching football very frustrating indeed. At least with rugby, a deciding score is guaranteed, or at least, over the years I'd watched rugby, I have never seen a game end in a draw. But if England was to win this year's World Cup Rugby, celebrations for such an achievement would never hold a candle to the glory of the World Cup Football tournament. A simple proof of this is to observe any housing estate. Not one English flag is displayed for this rugby tournament as they would have been in football.

When England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup against Australia in their home country, there was very little razzmatazz, and the victory could have gone virtually unnoticed. Very unlike the 1966 Football World Cup victory against Germany at Wembley. The fanfare which followed, including the bus ride through the streets of London escorted by thousands of cheering fans, is remembered to this day. Perhaps it's that sense of national greatness, this imperialistic and a sense of superiority over all foreigners which might have been the underlying cause on why England had never won the World Cup tournament since.

It's this repeat of this sense of national cockiness and pride arising from both the victory in the Rugby World Cup and Brexit which restricted my own cheering to mere clapping - and that done lamely as well, without the verbal cheering which was characteristic of everyone else in that room. Maybe I am a wet blanket, a damp squib, a spoilsport, yet nevertheless, when the All Blacks did score a try and conversion within the second half, I was tempted to yell YESS! - but held my tongue in keeping with the otherwise melancholic silence which hung in the air.

I think supporting a team is great. I wish I could give such heart-driven support myself. I also wish that I had the full freedom to cheer New Zealand's try without the accompanying feeling of being the odd one in the audience. I know, it's in a church and we are all Christians. All of us should know better than to frown at the individual cheering the opposite side. There is something good, something which is sportsmanlike about cheering the opposing side when they score, especially after a tremendous amount of effort put in at overcoming our side's defence.

Recognising that we are not the products of molecule-to-man evolution, but instead, we were created in God's own image, I think, will greatly endear better respect for the opposing team. That would, for example, mean a clapping of hands when the All Blacks did score and further clapping at the successful conversion. I think this would have made the whole experience even better, a greater feel for Christian unity.

If Divine Creation was a universal reality accepted by everyone - accepted as equally factual as fitting a huge, heavy metal tube with wings and it will actually defy gravity and fly - I'm sure that watching international sport as a group would be a far more enjoyable occasion. I go by experience. For many years, whenever England plays Italy at a major football international, I was always fearful that Italy would lose. I was concerned because if England wins, I would receive that condescending look, that sneer, that showing of proof that England is the best. And if a condescending look could launch a thousand ships, then the need to say anything becomes pointless. Back in the eighties, into the nineties, that was the stressful atmosphere created, in all places, within a church environment.

Yet in all paradoxes, one person specifically referred to was actually a Creationist. So he believed in his head without that vital 18-inch connection to his heart which would have quite likely transformed him. Indeed, I have overheard him say to another friend that if he had his way, he would steamroller over the opposing team, especially one from abroad. Furthermore, this was also an indication for his desire to see English troops reclaim the Empire, especially with himself involved. What I have also found remarkable was that he had a distinct dislike for the Scotsman and only a grudging respect for the Welsh. Not exactly matching the ethic that we are all created in God's own image. Or is it?

By checking what's written in Paul's letters, I come across these verses:

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Jesus, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:26-29.

Oh, if only this Scripture was set in the depths of my friend's heart! Just think for a moment. We are clothed in Jesus Christ. Therefore God sees us in exactly the same way he sees his only begotten Son. So powerful is this reality that God no longer sees us as Jew or non-Jew (nor English either) nor does he see us as even male or female, slave or free (neither working or middle class as well) but as Abraham's singular seed, therefore, must be referring to Jesus Christ. And if we're Abraham's seed, then we must be heirs to the promise. It's an amazing thought a wonderful reality. Furthermore, let me quote here in full:

What, then, can we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written:

For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, nor the present nor the future, nor the powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Romans 8:31-39.

Such word kills every form of favouritism, it kills any sense of patriotism, to favour our own country above another, especially in sport and culture. Here must be a greater meaning of being born again than we can readily grasp. Being a new creation, to be born of Abraham's seed.

I find it interesting that the devout Englishman who would have looked down on me if his beloved national football team had beaten Italy - does not believe in Once Saved Always Saved, as the above verses strongly indicate. And he was, and is, not alone, quite a few of his friends, and mine too, hold to the idea that salvation can be lost if the believer fails to stay in line.

Pardon me, and I might be wrong here, but over the years I have gotten the impression that those who don't believe in Eternal Security are some of the unhappiest people I have ever met. I once heard that more than 80% of all Christians who end up in an institution believe that salvation can be lost. I have also found, over years of experience, that these people are the most difficult to get on with, as I have found them prone to be more judgemental.

Oh, how I long for the above-quoted verses to embed themselves into the heart of every Christian! And maybe during such international games, a greater level of respect can be offered to any foreign team playing against England.

And furthermore, I managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat. Not by magic, nor by intelligence, but by the power of God.