No fairy tale ending for Denmark?
The whimsical fancy of a fairy tale was far from the mind of those watching their first game on 12 June 2021 versus Finland. Football took a back seat for a while, as one of the Dane’s most gifted and celebrated players, Christian Eriksen, collapsed. His heart had stopped and CPR was being performed, as the stadium and TV viewers watched on.
As one warrior had fallen his fellow warriors stood up. Led by captain, Simon Kjær, they formed a shield around him to protect him in his vulnerable state. Kjær then continued to lead by comforting Eriksen’s partner in her distress. The medics came from the sidelines unto centre stage- spending their skills and expertise in their efforts to save Eriksen’s life.
A shocked stadium was silenced for a time, until some Finnish fans chanted ‘Christian’ for the Danish fans to reply, ‘Eriksen’. Helplessly watching on it felt like something they could do to will him on in his fight for life.
As the pictures were shared widely the BBC received criticism for the amount of time they stayed with the player receiving treatment. As fans watched on they shared in some measure in the trauma and in being deeply upset and shocked by it all. They had come to support their teams in the opening game of their tournament. After a year’s delay here was the joy of the tournament eventually going ahead as Europe began to emerge from the Covid pandemic. Into this festival of life the shadow of death had intruded cruelly and suddenly. It was the most unwelcome imposter.
One of our warriors was down. For those of us who follow football there is a special place for heroes who are one of us. They are obviously very different- gifted, special and skilled- hence they are heroes. Yet for those who are grounded and carry this in an ordinary way, we carry a special regard. The most loved of our heroes are not just prized for their footballing exploits, but for the character and personality they play with. It is into the hands of such as these that we trust our most precious of hopes and dreams. They are heroes we share life with.
Our warriors are also the best of us. They are elite athletes. The strongest and fittest we have to offer. So, it is particularly upsetting and shocking when we realise they are vulnerable and fragile. Just like Fabrice Muamba- who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2012 playing for Bolton against Spurs- and who survived. Similarly for Anthony Foley- the Munster and Ireland Rugby legend- who sadly didn’t survive, but passed away. Taken from us too soon. We are shaken when the mightiest fall.
If it happened to such warriors surely it could happen to us?
We too are subject to the mysterious, unpredictable and sometimes distressing nature of life on earth.
So on a sunny summer evening in a world emerging from Covid we were reminded the shadow of death remains. As we have navigated this threat to the health of so many on earth we have depended on healthcare professionals on the frontline, public health experts and the development of vaccines by scientists. The best of healthcare and science has seen us through. In many ways the same was true for Christian Eriksen.
The welcome good news that Eriksen was conscious and improving and sending his support to his teammates was well recieved. He was then dischared from hospital with an ICD being implanted, which would help correct any future abnormal heart rhythms.
Some sadness lingers, however, as it is unlikely he will recover in a way that would allow him to play professional sport on this stage again. So, we are reminded that even the best of doctors and scientists are limited. With our health we continue to face the mysteries of what we do not know and the reality of the shadow of death which awaits us. This remains true, even as we journey into a post-Covid world.
Maybe we’re just prone to delusions of grandeur? We love to picture ourselves as the strong hero whose destiny is in our own hands, yet we are more fragile and life is much more precarious than we would like to admit. Which is really just a nice way of saying that our pride blinds us to our faults and even the best of interventions may often do more harm than good. The happy ending is out of our hands.
So it is from ancient times we have carried within us the need to find a warrior who will win the battle for us. Herein lies the making of great legends and famous stories. Today we may look to, and celebrate, sportspeople, film stars, musicians, comedians or presenters. We do this because, as author and pastor Tim Keller suggests,
“There is evidence that deep in the human heart
is a desire to crown a king.”
So within us we are in search of a warrior who will win the battle for us.
The daring claim of the Christian gospel is that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has come in the flesh to win that battle. His death, in our place, won the victory over death. He is the warrior who has triumphed by being crucified and raised to life.
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15.55-57
So, Denmark’s story at Euro 2020 has come to an end by defeat at the semi-final stage.
What type of ending are we headed for?
Is our life in this world a story shaped as a tragedy which has a trajectory of decline and decay?
Or is it an upturned trajectory, shaped by hope?
To lead life on our own terms and refuse to align ourselves with the gospel of God’s Son, Jesus, is to set ourselves on a tragic path towards a death, which is more than physical and continues beyond the grave.
What a contrast to the upturned trajectory shaped by hope that is the vision of the future for those trusting in Jesus. The Christian gospel looks forward to a festival of life in the end where death will be defeated and no longer allowed to impose himself.
Here we find our happily ever after that is no fairy tale.
Comments
Post a Comment