What a night it was in the Champions League on Tuesday! Sadly, Liverpool couldn't get that third goal earlier and eventually lost out to Chelsea. The first half of that game is one reason why I am a Liverpool supporter - who else could give us such excitement and fight-back spirit as the Reds? A win would have been too good to be true, especially a day before the commemoration of the Hillsborough diaster 20 years ago. In view of the sad events on 15 April 1989 and its lasting stuffering - notably Steven Gerrard losing his cousin - one might want to bring victories and victims into perspective. From my heart I wish all the bereaved comfort and hope despite their loss. However sad it was, some good came out of it - improved security in stadiums. Who knows how many lives have been spared because of improved conditions!? Unfortunately it is a fact of life that sometimes something seriously bad has to happen before necessary measures are taken to improve something bad. Sometimes a sacrifice of one or a few can have tremenduous benefit for others. Perhaps one can find at least some comfort with such considerations, weak they might be...
In his now faous book Questions of Life, Nicky Gumbel relates the story of Father Maximilian Kolbe. On 31 July 1941 a prisoner had escaped from Auschwitz, and as a reprisal ten prisoners were to be executed. As the Nazi commander pointed to Francis Gajowniczek, he cired out, 'My poor wife and children.' It was at that time that Father Maximilian stepped out of line and requested to be executed in Francis' place. The commander agreed, and on 10 October 1982 in St Peter's Squre in Rome one could find not only Francis Gajowniczek, but also his wife and children, and even his children's children! Gumble states, 'for indeed, many had been saved by that one man' (pages 19-21).
As a Christian I live with the eternal hope that Jesus Christ gave His life on behalf of others - to bring not only temporary benefit and improvement to our present situations, but for all eternity!
We might regret Liverpool not winning their quarter final, yet once we put victories and victims into perspective, what is a victory in view of a victim? Sometimes we take sport too serious and forget that as we speak thousands of children are dying of preventable diseases in Africa; 500 people die every day of AIDS in Kenya alone; there are thousands of children soldiers; millions of slaves; many millions of women trapped in forced prostitution; and the list continues - endlessly...
Perhaps we take a step back and not only remember the loss of 96 football fans 20 years ago, but meditate on the value of life of all people no matter who they are. Life, in biblical perspective, has infinte value; it is our greatest treasure and we should treat it as such.
Shalom,
Gordon
