Football...again?

Well done if you’ve got past the title and you don’t like football. Thing is, this isn’t really abut football. Although it’s football that got me thinking. You may or may not know that the Euros (that’s Euro 21) start later this week. The Euros, in case you don’t know, is the nations of Europe playing in a cup competition (well, some of them as not all of the qualified to be in the finals). One of those teams is England. And here’s the thing: I’ve been here before. I’m now old enough to have experienced many football tournaments. I’ve got excited about the possibility of England doing well and maybe even winning one! And that’s just it: I’ve seen it all before and so far England hasn’t won. Anything. Ever. So it’s football…again! I have the choice on Sunday to either watch England in their opening game of Euro 21 against Croatia, or go for a walk and a picnic. There was a time when it was no choice at all. Now though, I’m seriously considering going on a walk! Truth is, watching England has lost it’s appeal, it’s excitement. Do I still want them to win? Yes. But I’m less bothered about seeing it happen. The question is: am I less of an England fan or am I just a bit more mature? What I’m wondering is, am I also like this with my faith? I’ve been doing this faith thing for a long time now and some of it has become very familiar. I feel I know how it works. I’ve seen things many times before. I’ve got excited about things that have not come to pass. I’ve wanted God to win and struggled to find the evidence that he has. Does this mean I’ve lost my faith? I don’t think so. Actually I think my faith is as strong as it’s ever been. It’s just that it’s different now. I don’t see things in the same way as I once did. I don’t understand things in the same way that I once did. And that’s a good thing. It means I’ve matured, I’ve grown. Now I’m older, I hold the football lightly compared to when I was younger. There are some things in faith that I now hold more lightly. That’s a good thing too! But there’s also a part of me that’s not bothered about the football. No, really I’m not. It’s caused me to wonder: are there things I’m no longer bothered about in my faith? Or, perhaps more challenging: am I still bothered about my faith? Truth is, I’d love it if England won Euro 21. I really would. And I’d celebrate it! And even if I don’t watch them play Croatia on Sunday, thinking about it all has given me cause to think about my faith too. And that’s a good thing. A very good thing. And maybe something I would do well to do more often. And maybe you would too!