Last night we found out – as England were trying their best to reach the World Cup final in extra-time – that our fifth grandchild had entered this world.

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We got a call after the match – as we were listening to the usual talking-heads debating how England should and could and did and didn’t and would have had they only … We got a call telling us a new life was here – of a two and-a-half hour labour – a labour so quick the midwife arrived at their home a mere five minutes before their new child did.

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And winning the World Cup suddenly became irrelevant – all the talking-heads now talking to themselves – what “could have been” replaced with what is – because what is “is” … and all the would and could have been is not.

What is winning and losing?

Our national football team lost last night.  Yet real people have been festooning their communities with flags – joining together as communities – coming together in hope and joy.

Is that really ”losing” when communities live more brightly … real people (without a football to call their own) join together in celebration … when a simple waistcoat becomes a symbol for something exceptionally special … ?

Is that really “losing”?

And why this obsession with being saved by dying to self … to winning because of losing so much … to becoming a slave to duty and obligation – to sacrifice and endeavour – to self-discipline and “work” … ?

A new life has come into this world …

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Of Trump and Brexit … anger and taunting … politics and winning-losing … global warming and doom-gloom … of terror and faith wars … of England being knocked out of the World Cup when they were so close to … 

What exactly … ?

Winning!

More and more I wonder what is winning and what is losing.  More and more I wonder what is life and what is death.  More and more I wonder what is being saved and what is being condemned.

The Green Mile. That film of “dead man walking”.

Because this new life born into our world last night … ?  She has brought light and life and wonder – she brings “wow!” simply by “being”.

By being another life living and loving.  By being loved even before she was born.  By being a life loved without condition.  A life with a rich eternity of each moment and each moment and each moment and …

Before we teach her what life is really all about.

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Winning and losing … being saved or being condemned … being right or being seen to be wrong … being saved or being condemned …

Eternity comes in moments.  And moments are simple.  They “just are”.  Just like last night’s moment of life.  She just “is”.

And if the moment of being saved is so great …

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Why have we made it so judgmental (scriptural correctness) … teach so much drudgery (so much sacrifice) … such hard work (the joy of serving)  … ?

Because we say “the bible says so” … ?  Because we say “sin” and “saving” is scripturally correct … ?  Because we say “God says so” …  ?  This very simple God “God of Mystery” who writes the rules Loves You … ?

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The Green Mile. That film of “dead man walking”.

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What if “love first love second love always” is what the bible really means (it doesn’t)?  Why make God being saved so “rigid”?  Why prefer teach a bible which condemns this innocent new life born just a few short hours ago?

Why … ?

Just so that we can teach her later when she is a proper sinner how we God can save her from our condemnation for God’s love for all eternity?

Is that really our his Good News … ?

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