The Game of Life
Holidays at the beach. Relaxing. Enjoying the beach and the water. What more could you want?
If life were a game of soccer, who would you want as referee? Luis Medina? I don’t think so—not after watching the vital last seconds of the Italy–Australia match replayed several thousand times.
For those holidaying on Mars at the time, where TV reception is poor, Australia made it to the final 16 at the World Cup earlier this year. That’s the best result ever. But the team was beaten by Italy at the next stage and eliminated.
 Here’s the slow-motion replay.
It’s 12 seconds before the end of the match. The score is nil-all and the players are mentally preparing to play extra time. The ball is just inside the goal square when Lucas Neill attempts to steal it from Fabio Grosso. Neill ends up lying on the pitch and Grosso trips over him.
Spanish referee Luis Medina blows his whistle. He reckons it’s a foul against Australia, and because it happened in the goal square it’s a kick at goal from the penalty spot a couple of metres away.
Francesco Totti takes the kick, and aims high and to the right. Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer guesses correctly, dives for it, but can’t reach the ball. The ball hits the back of the net with force. Australia is out of the World Cup.
Medina got it wrong! There was no foul. But in soccer the referee is always right—well, let’s say the decision must stand.
So, if life were a game of soccer, who would you want as referee? Someone who always got it right, or a Luis Medina? Of course even if Mr Medina had got this decision right there would have been another occasion when he got it wrong.
He’s human.
Like you. Like me.
Humans make mistakes.
Like you. Like me.
That’s a really good reason for having God as the referee of life. Actually there are two reasons: He never gets it wrong; and when Medina and I get it wrong He’s there to help us get back in the game—if we want Him to.
Not that there aren’t times when I’d like to be the referee—to be in charge, to blow the whistle, to throw my weight around. But it’s much safer with God.
Of course, if I’d been the referee at the Australia–Italy match . . .
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Bruce Manners (left) is senior pastor of
the Avondale College church.