Â鶹ԼÅÄ

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ruth Wilde, National Coordinator of the Inclusive Church

Good morning.

The men’s football World Cup begins tomorrow in Qatar.

Football can be such a force for good. For those of us who love the game, it’s about so much more than kicking a ball around a field. It’s about solidarity between fans, pride in your hometown and country, emotional highs which are worth the lows, and time spent with family and friends. It’s also about the excitement you feel when you enter the stadium, and about being proud of your team even when they lose.

When my team, Derby County, went into administration last year, and then looked for a time as though they might be liquidated, I will admit I cried. I cried for all the memories of going to games my Dad and my Grandad. As my Grandad got older, he’d still come along with us, even though he sometimes missed the goals, and we’d find him still sitting when we were jumping up and down to celebrate!

Sadly, one reason Derby nearly ceased to exist is because of the role of money in the game today. The old owner got into big trouble trying to gamble on his dream of Premier League football. Money is also the reason we have a World Cup at a strange time of year in a country not usually known for its football. Qatar has the money – but it’s been chosen for the wrong reasons, and now we have a host with human rights abuses on its hands. We must find the beauty in a place away from the murky decisions – on the pitch. If there’s half as much to admire there as there was in the recent women’s Euros, I can’t wait!

God of love, thank you for things which inspire us, uplift us and bring us closer together.

Amen.