Did you hear the voices roar? Sweet Caroline
I am not a football fan! But I have followed the men’s England Football team since 1990. My 19 year old self was captivated by the atmosphere and the emotion that enveloped the country. And here we stand as Finalists.
A powerful image floating around twitter this week has been Southgate consoling Southgate!
Isn’t it powerful. Do you remember the pizza hut advert with the bag on the head? Gareth Southgate, like Stuart Pearce before him carried the shame. How did that define him? How much has that moment built into him the skills and talents he needed to guide this current team.
Many of the players talk about how they are treated in the team, how this affects their play. How people are treated affects behaviour. When one person is held up to others as better than the rest that creates one dynamic in a team. When all people’s gifts and skills are held up with equality that creates another dynamic. Southgate is clearly recognising strength’s across the team. This is a man who fully understands the shame of a nation. One of his life’s hardest moment’s is still available for viewing by the whole world. How much of that perceived failure has set up this moment of reaching Euro 2020 Final. Gareth Southgate is teaching a generation to use the failures and shames of life to springboard into hope and future rather than be defeated by them.
Looking at Gareth Southgate and then considering Kevin’s sermon from 04.07.2021 about how identity forms in people is really interesting. How are our lives are changed by the shame’s we feel, and how does Christ seek to lift up our head’s and say ‘You are not defined 
by that shame’. Ancient amazing words of hope told spoken to the people of Colossi and let them root deep, deep down, and wide, wide out and may the Spirit come alive in us.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.