Last night I was at Firhill to watch Aberdeen play Partick Thistle. Alan and Fraser kindly invited me to join them and others for pre-match hospitality at the Stadium, where the meal was a good, warm substantial input to sustain the long 90 minutes of watching fitba’ in the first really chilly night of the Autumn. Then, just to make sure energy levels were sustained, and nobody fainted from low sugar levels, we had pies, tablet and coffee at half-time.
As a Christian and an Aberdeen supporter (and the two are not mutually exclusive), I made every effort to negotiate conversation around the result with dimplomatic evasiveness about who gubbed who. I genuinely, really, honestly, tried not to rub it in, or gloat, or even cheer in hysterical disbelief as Aberdeen scored twice in one game — Partick 0 Aberdeen 2. So having feasted with my host Alan (Partick Thistle is one of his core commitments in life), and also with his colleague Fraser (who supports Aberdeen as the default when St Mirren aren’t involved), and got to know several other football pundits ‘n that, I was probably guilty of that really annoying, not hard to perceive smugness, that seems to be reserved for those who try to combine courteous modesty refusing to grin in triumph cos we won, with that secret ‘Oh ya beauty!’ that lurks just below the superficial politeness of every semi-civilised football fan.
Being the guest at a football stadium, being welcomed and given generous hospitality by a fine host, in the opposition’s home ground, does raise the problem of muted celebration, of clandestine smirks, and compels the insincerity of sympathising with the losers while being glad it isn’t your own team dumped out of the cup again. So last night I was in the ethical training ground, the place where spirituality collides with reality, when I could hear Paul say, ‘Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others’. Aye right! And being in the place where pastoral responsiveness of weeping with those who weep, was a real challenge.
But thanks to my friends and my hosts – a good night, a good result, and good company.
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