At first blush there doesn’t seem to be any obvious relationship between our national enthusiasm – rugby – and religion.
Unless of course if you add the two other items – racing and beer – and then for many people these three constitute religion itself and you need to look no further. This is possibly too cynical a point of view because most folk are prepared to admit to the existence of a spiritual dimension to life which they understand dimly.
In the lead-up to a Springbok test the haka can produce a collective sense of patriotism in which the hair stands up on the back of your neck. When the game actually starts you can get back to your regular shouting at the ref and the frequent use of the TMO.
At the risk of causing offence I’d remind you of the words of now departed Sir Bob Jones, ex real estate developer and political activist hellbent on creating controversy. – His view was that there was no place for the haka in rugby or anywhere else because it only served to remind viewers that they were witnessing an irrelevant and outmoded ritual being practised by a bunch of barbarians. This was certainly intended as tongue in cheek, but it served to infuriate many New Zealanders. And when we witnessed the response by Ma’a Nonu as he launched into his solitary haka most people would admit to being touched or even moved.
The link with religion is best understood from a book by British Canon T.O. Wedel: “He draws out the analogy of the corporate spirit experienced in many ordinary human relationships, for instance in the esprit de corps of a great team. There is a vivid passage about sedate professors being moved to speak in tongues at a football game, uttering words they later disavowed. Of course, the Holy Spirit is much more than anything generated by a crowd. As the Bible puts it in a beautiful image “the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.” There you go!
Upcoming events can be found on the Lions Martinborough Community Notice Board in The Star and our website www.martinboro1stchurch.org
