麻豆约拍

From Leslie Griffiths, Methodist Minister:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

I鈥檝e always loved sport, all kinds of sport. I鈥檝e played, watched or followed just about everything all my life. There isn鈥檛 much I don鈥檛 like 鈥� horse dressage and curling come to mind. But if it鈥檚 played and on telly, I鈥檓 there. With that in mind, I must admit the last ten days or so have been a great challenge. I鈥檝e tried to keep up with the cricket, tennis, Formula One and rugby 鈥� it鈥檚 been endless; it鈥檚 been the cocktail of all cocktails, I鈥檝e been shaken and stirred till, all passion spent, I鈥檝e ended up like a squeezed dishcloth, empty and dry and good for nothing.

Passion is a wondrous thing. In these days of professional sport, the players I most admire are those who do what they do in what we used to call the 鈥渁mateur spirit鈥� 鈥� that is, for the love of the game. I don鈥檛 mind players being paid just so long as money doesn鈥檛 become their god. You can always tell the difference between those who do it just for the money, mere mercenaries, and those who do it heart and soul and to please their followers.

Young people sometimes ask me what they should study at university. Their mums and dads might want them to do something that鈥檒l lead to a steady job with good money. I often advise them to choose a subject they鈥檙e going to love 鈥� passion for what they choose is most likely to give them motivation, pleasure and success. That鈥檚 how I decided what to do. Indeed, that鈥檚 how I came to faith. Once I鈥檇 fallen in love with Christian teaching and the life of Christ there was no stopping me. It鈥檚 my passion for my faith that鈥檚 allowed me to deal with those aspects of religion which I don鈥檛 like and would gladly see the back of.

Passion, that鈥檚 the secret. For me, rugby came to an abrupt end with a broken leg; cricket was all over when I found myself living in a country dedicated to cock-fighting. But faith? Ah that鈥檚 different. I鈥檓 more and more in love with that with each passing day.