Anyone interested in sport, whether watching or playing will have found it difficult not to have an opinion about Video Assistant Referee or VAR as it is more commonly known.
Several games in the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup were dramatically influenced by retrospective incidents picked up on camera which when reviewed changed the course of the match.
Goals disallowed, penalties awarded often on the margin of one or two centimetres.
One can argue that is good to always get things absolutely right, but life isn’t like that and a lot of the fun in life is based on close decisions and many decisions are based on luck.
God gave us all the gift of free will and the ability to make decisions, good and bad. We all make lots of mistakes and although a few may be disastrous at the time situations change and life reacts accordingly. God’s gift of free will means that if we really want to, we can often make amends or adapt, maybe even change, rectify the mistake.
How have we heard, “Finally, some good came out of it?”
At worst we can least learn how not to get it wrong again. That is life as God intended it. God chose not to give us the luxury of turning back the clock and changing our decisions.
He knows that we are all human and are not perfect.
As my Mum used to say, “There are very few of us perfect except for thee and me … and I’m not too sure about thee!”
John Boylan is an authorised lay preacher at All Saints Church, Wokingham, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham
