I was asked to speak at a funeral today of a lovely Christian lady. The first time I met her she only had one question to ask, (it’s what she first asked her husband when they met too i’m told) which many Mancunians would relate to; “United or City?”
I had to disappoint her. She was a very strong and passionate City fan. I’m not much of a fan compared with many – but it’d have to be United.
Well at the service I retold a retelling (if you follow me) of the parable of the sower. It comes from Keith Tondeur’s cracking book, “Street Parables.” It went something like this –
The story is of a football club who got a new manager.
Some ‘fans’ immediately rejected the manager. they didn’t believe one person could make any difference anyway.
Others came along to the next match, but the squad didn’t do too well that day so they complained all the way home that they’d had to watch such a rubbish team.
Another group of supporters were the fairweather sort. When the cost of tickets seemed too high or they had to travel or make some kind of sacrifice, they soon packed in and hung up their scarves.
But there were some who became season ticket holders. They supported on good days and bad. Singing loudly and supporting strongly, through thick and thin.
They were greatly rewarded with excellent seats on the day when the team went to Wembley to play in the cup final – and won a great victory everyone would remember forever!
(He who has ears to hear – let him hear)
Good to know you’ve got a great seat there Mary.
I liked the story.
I thought of a modern football metaphor a few months back:
‘A young footballer Joe, wins an aprenteship at Arsenal – the club that he has always supported. On his first day he is pleased to find out that the first team train on the same mornings as he does. However, while the first team players drive off in their sports cars at the end of each session the aprentices are handed a second set of boots to clean.
Each and every time Joe pays particular attention to his work as he cleans his heros boots – Theiry Henry’s.
This goes on for a number of months until one day Joe cannot find Theiry’s boots. Fearing that he will get in trouble for stealing or loosing them, Joe searches through every room, and then heads out onto the training pitch to look there. He cannot see the shoes but there is one vehicle left in the players car park. As Joe approaches he sees a figure is near to the car. As he gets closer he realises that the person is his hero, and that in one hand he is holding a brush and the other one of Joe’s own football boots. Joe freezes in surprise but the player calls him over and spends some time talking to him while he works. As his Theiry finishes and hands back the boots, Joe asks why he had bothered to clean them. Theiry shruggs his shoulders in a very french way, and says ‘to see the look on your face’, before smiling as he drives off.
Joe returns to the rest of his team inside the training centre with two clean pairs of boots. One of his friends asks where he has been, Joe can barely speak so shakes his head for a second and then says ‘You’re not going to believe what just happened to me……’