Dear Everybody,

Two sporting achievements have been in the news recently, with differing reactions.  Norwich City have been promoted to the Premiership, amidst great excitement.  And Michael Schumacher has, as I write, won his fifth straight Formula One race of the season, to mounting boredom.

What makes us switch on, or switch off?  Now I know that many of you will find it hard to be enthusiastic about cars or football, but bear with me.

Both Norwich City and Michael Schumacher won comfortably.  The difference is whether it is predictable or not, and whether you can see the struggle involved.  There was the odd wobble on the Canaries’ road to the championship, and real competition from the other contenders, right up to the last few games.  We admire their grit, spirit, teamwork and flair, but also we will them on because we know they are fallible.  Schumi is the best driver of his generation, but he’s massively funded and not a particularly good sport. He just wins all the time.

Sometimes people ask why God didn’t make this world perfect.  Maybe the next one will be.  But this one is one with ups and downs, those moments when your heart is in your mouth.  You can be excited.  You can lose, certainly, and go on losing but still have the determination to carry on and change things round.  Some people would opt for the safe predictable win-every-time kind of life.  Others know that living life in all its fullness means meeting dangers and losses and risks and triumphs, and letting our character show.

God bless you in all that you do.