With England performing so memorably in the Rugby World Cup at the moment, just a game away from being crowned world champions, it seems fitting to include today a prayer from my 2005 book Touched By His Hand. Each of the prayers in this book, and others in the series – Touching Down, Heaven Touching Earth and Touching the Seasons – takes an aspect of daily life as its starting point, moving from this to a simple prayer based on the key theme: in this case, our dependence on one another.
The rugby team
His team-mates engulfed him,
leaping and laughing,
sharing his jubilation as he punched the air in triumph,
delight on his face.
The try was his,
but the moment owned by all,
for each had contributed,
if not to the move itself then in the play earlier.
The clever shimmy,
last-ditch tackle,
defence-splitting pass,
bruising scrum –
each had added to the whole,
the game not about one but many.
Teach me, Lord, that I need others,
just as they need me;
that life is interconnected,
what I owe balanced by what I can contribute.
Whether I’m the centre of attention or unnoticed,
help me to play my part,
working both with and for others
to the common good.
Amen.