Some people think it's all over... it is now!

When England were inevitably knocked out of the World Cup on penalties I felt a surprising yet enormous sense of relief.

Once an ardent soccer fan, (like all Londoners I have followed Manchester United since I was six). I had more or less lost interest in football. On the one hand it seemed like a waste of my time and on the other hand there were issues surrounding the game that made me feel better off away from it.

When the World Cup arrived my interest was temporarily resurrected – but there was a distinct difference about the way I felt. There was a deep sense of discomfort within me as I began to familiarise myself with the ins and outs of England’s chances.

I wasn’t comfortable with the knowledge that English football fans (among those from other countries) would be serviced by upwards of 40,000 trafficked prostituted women. I wasn’t comfortable with the thought of replica squad shirts and footballs being manufactured in Asian sweat shops by child slaves. I wasn’t comfortable with yet one more display of decadence and self-indulgent materialism, by the west, in a world of hunger, poverty and social injustice.

Yet I allowed myself to be sucked in and I watched the games. The discomfort never left me and I felt nagged throughout the three weeks to turn of the TV and go and do something useful. I suppose (for me) it was a sin – to clearly hear the voice of God calling something into question and to ignore that voice – I am not saying that watching football is sinful but that my association with the World Cup was a serious compromise. Hence my relief when it was all over.

I came to the conclusion a long time ago that if God is going to do with my life what he wants to do then he needs everything – every minute, every penny, and every influence. Without wishing to liken my self to William Booth and Christmas I shall definitely never spend another June like this!

I think I seem to remember reading the following somewhere…

Called by God to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as an officer of The Salvation Army, I bind myself to him in this solemn covenant:

• to love and serve him supremely all my days,
• to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life,
• to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend those who have no friends,
• to maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army and,
• by God’s grace, to prove myself a worthy officer.

May God forgive me for compromise and help me to willingly, moment by moment surrender my all. Passion is a rare and valuable commodity these days and I pray that I never pour it out on the ‘high place’ of football again.

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