Last Saturday, my owner went to a friend’s funeral. And funerals are occasions that can cause all kinds of different emotions to swirl around inside those attending. They are not easy occasions to deal with, even when everyone is certain that the deceased person has gone to Heaven. But there was something very special about this particular service because everyone rallied around. Close friends took the service, did the readings and gave the prayers. But perhaps the most wonderful gesture of all involved the young friends of eleven year old George who was there, laying his dad to rest. They’d all been invited to attend the service, but they took it upon themselves to wait together at the entrance of the church in a spontaneous act of solidarity with George. They wanted him to know that they were all there for him together. And my owner left the service and reception feeling that he’d witnessed something very special.
When he got home, he thought he’d sit down quietly with me and watch a football match on the television. Denmark verses Finland. And of course, we then watched in horror as one of the Danish players -Christian Eriksen – suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch and had to be resuscitated. While Eriksen’s life hung in the balance, the Danish players took it upon themselves to form a human shield around him to provide some privacy and dignity. Meanwhile, the Captain and goalkeeper went straight over to comfort the stricken player’s wife. And for a good ten minutes, we graphically saw how strong, hardened players were clasping their hands together in prayer, asking God to save their team-mate. Players that might not have thought much about God beforehand or had the opportunity in their lives to become regular churchgoers. But here they were publicly praying to God while thousands of fans looked on. And mercifully, it seems as though their prayers were answered.
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