It’s the 96th minute of the final game of the season, it’s 0-0 at Valley Parade, the place is rocking as a late late goal goes in and Bradford City secure third place and promotion. For a Bradford fan like me, the emotion is sheer delight. We did it! I can imagine too, the crushing disappointment of the Walsall fans. However, spare a thought for Doncaster Rovers, they were already promoted and that same afternoon secured first place and the title.
I say, spare a thought, because you get the impression that all the focus seemed to be on Bradford City, there was a story there, drama, heroics, tension and wild celebration. We could easily forget that Doncaster won the title, were the Champions and Bradford were in the bronze medal position on the podium.
Football is set up like that these days. It is possible for a team finishing 6th or 7th to get to walk up the famous steps at Wembley to receive medals and lift an impressive trophy by winning the playoffs. The lift off that can give may lead to some teams preferring to go up that way. As much as I love the drama and as much as I have celebrated as a Bantams fan, a last day promotion to the premiership, a couple of play off triumphs and this season’s promotion, I also wonder if it is fair on the real winners.
We don’t have league tables, medals and trophies in church do we? Though sometimes we can act as though there are, as though there is a competition for pastoral care, prayer and empathy.
Furthermore, sometimes, the noisy drama I. Church can be a distraction from what us really happening and what matters. Let’s try to make this not the case.
Faithroots 