The life of a Cronulla Sharks fan

Last Sunday was a deceptive day. The sun was shining. All was peaceful. The shores of Botany Bay looked like a lovely place to be. But then it happened… a total bloodbath! It was a cruel massacre. My beloved Cronulla Sharks football team were flogged 56-10 by Brooke’s team – the Wests Tigers. And we were there as a family – Cadel’s first ever game of footy.

He seemed to enjoy it – only because he had no idea of what was going on!

Who’d be a sharks fan? And why would I encourage (force) my son to barrack for them too? They have never won a premiership. They sit in equal last place on the table this season. They have lurched from one controversy to another – the club name dragged through the mud.

But I reckon, as a Christian, Cronulla are the perfect team to go for!

Hear me out! In the bible, in Romans 8, the Christian life is spoken of as a hope for something we don’t yet have. It is a frustrated groaning for future glory. A patient wait for the great things that lie ahead.

The life of a Cronulla Sharks fan is like the life of a Christian. Our hope is in future glory. We fix our eyes on future premiership success – rather than looking back to the “good old days.” The Sharks fan, like the Christian, is all about the future! We live for it!

This thinking is shown elsewhere in the bible, in 2 Corinthians 4, which says “we do not lose heart… our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory… so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.”

This also hints at the other way the life of a Sharks fan echoes the Christian life – “troubles” or persecution. Sharks fans are copping it at the moment – from St George supporters, from Tigers fans, from people who don’t even follow the footy! The person who is living for future glory should expect such troubles! But these troubles are far outweighed by the future glory!

So here comes the “altar call” – if you are not already barracking for the Sharks, now is the time to switch! Become somebody who is focussed on the future, and not the “good old days”! Fix your eyes on that big empty trophy cabinet, and do it with eager expectation!

Dave

P.S. Yes, this post may be a little tongue-in-cheek. And no, Brooke does not endorse these comments.

P.P.S. And there may be some differences between the “hope” shown by Christians and that shown by Sharks fans. The Christian hope is not uncertain in any way. It is based on what Jesus has already done. It is absolutley certain. The hope of Sharks fans may be a little less certain.