Fr. Jeremy's Topic - July 2018
Last Friday I was invited to speak to the children of Boyne Hill Infant School about hope. The belief that good things can happen. At the time of writing there is still the hope that England will win the World Cup!
I told the children that the first time I watched the World Cup in 1974 I was thrilled not by watching England (A brilliant performance by a certain Polish goalkeeper labelled a clown had thwarted hopes of qualifying) but the brilliant Dutch team of that period. One of their team Johan Cruyff had a famous turn where he would run away from goal with the defender following, then with amazing skill, Cruyff would turn with a back flick of the ball sending the defender the wrong way. My hope at the time was to emulate Cruyff but when I tried his turn I succeeded only in falling over with the bemused defender not believing his luck.
More seriously I asked the children about their hopes. Two young girls put their hands up. One said ‘I want more money (my heart sank thinking she had witnessed me purchasing my latest Lotto) but she went on ‘to buy resources for our school so that we can learn more’. The second said ‘I hope to see more people living happy lives’.
I told them about Martin Luther King in the 1960’s having a hope that his 4 black children might walk down a street in America hand in hand with 4 white children.
In Christian faith we have the hope that God’s love will overcome all suffering. We also have a story about a son who spends his father’s money but still has the hope of being welcomed back into his loving arms.
When hopes we have are dashed in life, may we know the true hope that God is present with us, loves us and wants us to flourish.
The Revd Jeremy Harris, Vicar of All Saints, Boyne Hill.