Hannibal, considered to be the greatest of all military commanders, was not expected by any stretch of the imagination expected to reach Italy, no one imagined Elephants would cross the Pyrenees, yet this is exactly what took place. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal)
Hitler and his unstoppable military was assumed to capture the British Army at Dunkirk. Alas, a fleet of tiny boats circumnavigated such plans and they brought home an army of 325,000 soldiers across the English Channel. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation)
Cricket too is in this same astonishing arena of the unexpected. There are few sports in the world in which one team can dominate – moreover when this dominance lasts for five days – yet still not win the match, Scott Heinrich writing for 'foxsports.com' some years ago illustrates just such an example between Australia and England. (www.foxsports.com.au)
This is simply one aspect of cricket. There are numerous other examples from international test cricket, where two batsman have held out an attack to save a match, and against all odds over and against the other team's high score. The classic 1960 Australia v West Indies First test at the Gabba was a classic illustration for the Tied Test.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tied_Test)
Just so typical of life
The idea that one team can dominate the flow of play in sport yet unable to complete the task of securing that final winning point is just so typical. Delma, my wife of 35 years, visited me in Wollongong in our courting years and watched our St Matthews (green and black check shirt) hockey team play Wollongong University (black shirt with a gold trim). Delma too was a hockey player and knew well the techniques of the game.
We often speak of this occasion as St Matthews won 2-1 and we could count on one hand the number of times we made it into the University's team circle zone, yet we scored twice. Wollongong University overwhelmed us throughout the game except in goals.
There are innumerable examples of similar circumstances in all of life's spheres: plodders at school who might as well have been voted the most unlikeliest to succeed have become multi-millionaires. The examples are endless and they include academia, business, sport, culture, entertainment, religion and anything else we might add to such a list.
The greatest story ever told
It also applies to the greatest story ever told, it is ingrained within the pages of the Scriptures from Genesis to The Revelation.
The Psalmists are constantly bemoaning the theme that the wicked thrive and dominate this world. However, there is an assurance that this will not be so forever. The time of such evil dominance will come to an end, and the order of the world will be put right.
The New Testament is replete with this very theme. This world will have its day, although there are principalities and powers at work, there is a new world coming. The winning goal is a certainty. This is the core message of the Gospel, that on the Cross, when Jesus exclaimed, 'It is finished' - affirmed this eternal acclamation; and the empty tomb was the divine evidence.
This recurring theme illustrates that what we see in the world has a parallel in so much of life, and moreover demonstrates that the eternal dimension. It has that unerring, utterly convincing, gut feeling assurance, an intuition of peace – that ring of truth to it.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
