Hope and Proteas

-
There's something about watching sport that I really love. Being able to see (and share in) great skill, talent and an immense amount of hard work combined with striving for victory and glory is a privilege. So, with the ICC Cricket World Cup hosted by England and Wales, I've been on cloud nine for the last week. But not really.

Being a cricket lover AND South African has made the last week or so very difficult. The South African Cricket team (the Proteas) have gotten themselves labled as 'chokers' (which means they 'choke up' in big games and lose, even when they are in a winning position). This year seems no different as they lost their first three games. And still I hope. Still I support them. Still I want them to win. Setting myself up for inevitable disappointment and despair, maybe?

So I thought about hope a lot lately, and was reminded of these verses from Romans:

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5 - NIVUK)

Hope does not put us to shame. For a long time I thought this meant that we'll always get what we hope for. Now I'm not so sure anymore. There is an inextricable link between hope and faith (as explained in Hebrews 11:1), but merely hoping for a thing does not make that thing so.

And yet we hope, according to Romans 5, because God has poured out His love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. There is also a deep link between hope and love (as described in 1 Corinthians 13, throwing faith into the mix as well!). Hope is, therefore, a sure sign of love (love always hopes, always perseveres). It is because we are loved that we can have hope. It is because we love others that they too can have hope. Love springs hope.

May you be filled with the knowledge that you are deeply and truly loved. May you have hope for every day, not because you're winning, but because you are loved. And may you spread that hope and love wherever you go. Even when your sports team are at the bottom of the log when they shouldn't be. #ProteaFire...

Selah.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An open letter to our neighbours (and churches, and communities)

-
Image
Dear neighbours The aim of this letter is to sincerely and honestly thank you. Thank you for teaching us so much about neighbourly love, acceptance and welcoming others. Through your perfect example we now know what the opposite of these virtues look like. You have shown me exactly what I do not want to be like as a neighbour. Thank you also for making our kids and their friends feel unwanted and unwelcome – even sad and afraid at times – by your racially charged comments and yelling out of windows. They too have learnt what the opposite of being a kind neighbour is through your sterling example. It gave us, as parents, the opportunity to teach our kids that there will be places and people in this world who do not like them or welcome them, and that this is okay, because they will always be loved by their parents. It is, however, unfortunate that this lesson had to be learnt at the place we have called home for 5 years. Finally, my sincere thanks to you all for making life “at home” so...
Read more

Running (away from the problem)

-
Image
Today I started running (again). This was because I wore a piece of clothing yesterday that I would have labelled as "loose fitting" before wearing it yesterday. Just to make it abundantly clear: the piece of clothing (an old rugby shirt) can no longer be described as "loose fitting", but borders on "being sprayed on" like the Waratahs jerseys of the early 2000's... I started using the Couch To 5K app (again), which is brilliant. I have the amazing Sarah Millican telling me when to start walking and when to start running with a "Are you ready? Gooo!" in her inimitable accent with just the right balance between optimism and realism. When I was younger I would never have thought I'd need an English comedian telling me when to run or walk on an app because I was so unfit. I played rugby, coached squash, ran half-marathons, for goodness sake! I was fit and healthy! It was also at that time that my rugby shirt was, very much, "loose fitti...
Read more

Shoelaces... and other unsung heroes.

-
Image
A while back, my friend Richard and I were talking about camping and it turns out we have the same philosophy when it comes to certain pieces of equipment: It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. We weren't talking about the trademark Bear Grylls survival kits or the latest off-road adventure vehicles. No. We were talking of the gear you don't even realise you need until you need it. Like shoelaces. That's why I bought an extra set of shoelaces before a Central Asia trek some years ago. I also bought a small sewing kit and extra zipper pulls (don't judge me) because you never know... Can you imagine getting ready for the day's 20 km hike through rough and rocky mountain terrain, and rivers of snowmelt? Can you see yourself putting your high tech Vibram-soled hiking boots on, pulling on the laces... only to feel that gut-wrenching snap and the realisation that you have just doubled the number of shoelaces in your hands, but wrecked...
Read more