Close Season

In an earlier article, I revealed my interest in football, particularly that section of the game known as ‘Non-League’.   I’m pleased this year to note that two teams from my native Norfolk have earned promotion to Step 4.  Although this is a significant achievement, it’s still four leagues below N-Power League Two, and even further away from Norwich City in the Barclays Premiership!  There is a complete pyramidal structure of these lower leagues, and I’m fascinated at the end of the season to follow the many play-off sequences, and see which teams will move up through the various levels.  Some teams, however, don’t move the way that their final positions would indicate.  Maybe their ground isn’t up to the required standard, or perhaps their economic situation won’t stand the financial pressures in a higher league.

St Paul knew about sport; in his first letter to the infant church in Corinth he wrote about runners competing in a race, and encouraged his readers to “Run in such a way as to get the prize.”  He also described his own practice, “I don’t run like a man running aimlessly,” he wrote, “I don’t fight like a man beating the air.” (I Cor. 9:24,26.)  Paul emphasised the need to do things positively; with gusto, we might say.  He was anxious that these new believers should not succumb to the many temptations that could overwhelm their fragile faith.  He compared their situation to that of the Israelites wandering in the desert in the time of Moses.  He used the example of those who died there to warn the Corinthians to be strong in their faith, to recognise the dangers and turn aside from tempting distractions before it was too late.

Jesus, too, was tempted.  The story is in St Luke’s Gospel, and at the end of it we can return to the football analogy for, in the King James’ version we read, “... and when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” (Luke 4:13.)  This wasn’t a football season, of course; nor was it summer, autumn or winter.  The NIV translation explains it: “until an opportune time.”  Such an opportune time might have been the occasion in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus asked, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me” (Luke 22:42.)   The words that follow reveal His strength, “Yet not my will but yours be done.”

Ecclesiastes, the Preacher of the Old Testament, wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1.) The succeeding verses have been made into a popular song, and indicate a variety of activities for which there is an appropriate time or season.  A season is thus an identifiable unit in the great pattern of life.  

One of my favourite hymns is ‘Just as I am, without one plea’;  a phrase from that hymn always brings a catch to my throat as I sing it, and it comes to my mind in this context, too: “Here for a season, then above, O Lamb of God, I come.”  While it puts into perspective how important it is to keep an eye on the opposition, and always play hard to win, it reminds us too that we are playing for the greatest and most forgiving Manager of all time!

So, on the strength of your current form, where will you be playing next season?