Samson's Column
Listen Here
It's about time someone spoke up for the Referee.
The football finals are over for another year, but we will still hear a disgruntled fan bleating about how the referee cost their team the game. Oh yeah?
A referee, or umpire, starts a game and for the next hour or so watches the players drop balls, miss tackles, throw wild passes and stand offside, among other things, while not daring to say a word about it. He knows the players are getting paid twice as much as him, and he does not want to belittle them. Near the end of a game he may make a call that is a little doubtful, that is supposed to be the turning point of the game.
No, referees and umpires are there to see the game is played according to the rules. The players win and lose games, all on their own. For instance, a baseball umpire is called upon to make more than 100 decisions in every game. He is expected to get every one of them right. The players get lots of things wrong in every game and yet the umpire is blamed for the loss. Come off it!
Very few games can be played without a referee or umpire. We cheat too much. Of course cricket batsmen will walk away if they snick a ball to the 'keeper', or considered themselves out LBW. And a footballer would always acknowledge he was offside as he scored a try. I don't think so!
Another important reason for the umpire being so essential is that we need someone to blame. We have to have a scapegoat. We never make enough mistakes to lose, do we? Well then, blame the umpire. There, that's better! Now we can relax in our loss, it was his entire fault. Give me a break!
Some of us consider God as our Umpire. He starts our game, and he finishes it, all in his own good time. He has set the rules and declares the penalties. Some of us can hear a little whistle blow inside us when we play outside the rules or cheat. We know the Umpire has seen the play and is about to award a free kick to the opposition. While others consider they have never made a mistake and it is the umpire who erred. That is why God is so important to so many people, they need someone to blame.
However, a Christian church has much more to say about these things. Come to Eastwood Baptist Church and learn how to understand these things and be comfortable in the knowledge of God's presence in your life.
Remember, God loves you.
Samson
Final thought:
"Don't ask the referee to be consistent. Plead with him to improve."
