Letter from Aaron Kennedy – Vicar of Otley Parish Church
As I write this, football’s European Championships are well underway followed by a series of exciting weekends of international rugby union tests await (Ireland of course looking strong as world No. 2 – just saying!) and topped off beautifully by the Olympics later in July and August.
Our dear brother in Christ, Ray Dunn, died this week and I can’t help making the connection between this fine gentleman, who was himself a serious football fan, and the life we are all called to live by God through his son Jesus. As anyone who knew Ray – even just a little – would know he was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit; who exuded joy, contentment and confidence – and he finished his race well.
There are three things that Ray or any Christian has in common with a professional athlete, and one really big difference. Let’s look at each in turn:
First, like an athlete, Christians need to know their identity. This isn’t really a problem for athletes; they tend to have a firm grasp of who they are and who the name on the team sheet says they are. As Christians, however, it is possible to forget that our identity is in Christ. This is partly because God is invisible (we lack the visual reminder), and because the enemy we face is not on the field of play, working within the rules, being refereed on the spot; rather he is also invisible, completely ruthless, utterly immoral, and a master deceiver, who will not be brought to heel finally until “full-time”.
So, we must routinely remind ourselves who we are: not our own, but bought and paid for by Christ; sons and daughters of God; holy, blameless and beyond reproach in God’s sight. I could go on – and we must daily settle ourselves in these truths, for our life flows from them.
The second commonality between Christians and athletes is that we are in training. Knowing who we are gives us our purpose and goal and so we live accordingly. If your goal as an athlete is to perform at the Euros, the Olympics, in international rugby, or whatever, you must act accordingly: eat well, sleep well, show up for training, discipline your bodies, be a good teammate, play to the best of your ability. Likewise, for us as Christians, when we know who we are, we act accordingly: as God’s beloved children, we love him back by obeying his commandments. When our awareness of who we are slips, our behaviour will follow suit.
Which brings me to my third commonality: Christians and athletes are focused on a prize, or a goal. As an athlete that will be the next big competition; as Christians that must be the return of King Jesus (1 Peter 1.13). Any ultimate goal that falls short of this is a deception of the enemy. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize and not be disqualified!
The great difference Christians enjoy, as compared to the world of athletics, is that we have already been accepted, we are already more than conquerors. We can run our race safe in the knowledge that the outcome is secure. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, the debt we owe is paid and our new identity as beloved children of God frees us to run our race with joy, confidence and contentment – just like our brother Ray.
I pray that you will enjoy the summer months, whether or not you are a sports fan, and that you run your race with the freedom of one who, because of Jesus and God’s great love, is already enough, is already loved, accepted, delighted in and cherished.