Unconditional love - and Tennis

It’s Wimbledon Fortnight here in the UK – a two week stretch in June/July which I always enjoy. Grass court tennis championship which occasions a riot of patriotic fervour. 

It’s been forever since the UK has produced a Wimbledon Champion, either male or female, and so year on year the pressure mounts on the top-seeded British player. 

For a few years it was Tim Henman, and so many people wanted to see him play that they opened up a section outside of the tournament grounds and erected a viewing screen, so that folk could cluster on ‘Henman Hill’ and watch their favourite play. He got close a few times but, as my dad would have said, no cigar.

Now of course it is the Scottish player Andy Murray who is in with a good chance to sweep to victory. Henman Hill is Murray Mount. Britain loves him ... because he’s winning. 

That’s human nature. We love to love a winner. 

It’s not God’s nature, though. He loves unconditionally: winning or losing, God loves you. It’s  incredible how vulnerable he is prepared to be because of his pure and true love for humanity.

All he asks, is that we love him back, with that same vulnerability, that same unconditional love.

It’s a big ask. I know I’m not alone when I confess that sometimes, when things are going badly, I’ve stood in the field and shaken my fist at the sky. ‘Give us a break,’ I probably moaned. My imperfect love is kind of linked with performance.

Not God’s.

A big reason to be grateful.