It is so good to be with you. I grew up spending a lot of time around here. My cousins lived in Wilson Crescent, The Dolphin that first put pineapples in what they called a Hawaiian Burger was a little further down and then I spent Saturday nights in Youth Club in Harryville Church after I spent my Saturdays scoring goals that Erling Haaland only dreams about on the pitches at Wakehurst.
There was one… ENOUGH STEVE!
This is my third ever Prize Day and none of them was when I was at school. As my mates in Ballymena Academy went off to the Assembly Hall to get their prizes I was down the back drive like a whippet to play football. More goals…
Let me tell you about a seagull who wanted to live a life of thrills. The writer Richard Bach wrote a book called Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Now at this stage my daughter is shouting “BE RELEVANT DAD. NONE OF THOSE PUPILS WILL KNOW ABOUT SOME OLD GUY CALLED RICHARD BACH”.
Well, the soundtrack to the movie from the book was written by Neil Diamond and though Neil is weighing in at 83 this year… we all know his song Sweet Caroline that we all sing at sporting events - Good time never seemed so god SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD!
Back to Jonathan…
He watched all the other gulls just eating and sleeping but he wanted more. So he took off into the blue and soared and swooped aiming at speeds and thrills that no other gull had ever experienced. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull wanted to fly. When I was your age at Ballymena Academy, I wanted to fly.
Our logo in Fitzroy, where I am minister, is 10:10. It’s my birthday. I love seeing the youth walking round with my birthday on their sweatshirts! It’s also the mark you got to be here today! It’s also a verse in the ancient text of the Scriptures where Jesus said that he came to bring life and life in all its fulness. I wanted that. 10:10!
Amazingly I am less than 4 years from retirement, making me even more out of touch! I am now looking back on my life as you look ahead. And I can safely say that the life I, and my wife Janice have lived has been 10:10…
We’ve been places, met people, most of our heroes, watched lives change, communities transform. We’ve learned from it all. It’s been amazing.
Take last Tuesday night. I am on the altar in Clonard Monastery and sitting a few feet away is the Brighton bomber. In 1984 the IRA tried to kill Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet in a Brighton hotel. Pat Magee planted the bomb.
Between us is Jo Berry. Jo’s dad Sir Anthony Berry, a member of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet was killed in the bomb. After her dad’s death Jo went on a search to understand. She came to Northern Ireland and ended up in dangerous places.
After the Good Friday Agreement Pat Magee was released with all the other prisoners and it became possible to meet the actual bomber. Jo finally ended ups in a room face to face with the man who killed her dad. The meeting was ok but as Jo went to leave Pat asked her about her dad. What was he like? Suddenly they were re-humanising one another finding empathy and understanding even as they disagreed on many things. Your school motto of Respect, Understanding and Truth. Good things to carry with you.
In the summer of 2022, while one of my daughters was studying at Reading University we went to Windsor and got a selfie outside the Castle thinking how good it would be to get in. A year later we were walking right in as I somehow was getting an MBE. I stood right in front of Princess Anne.
I had rehearsed what I’d say if I had a chance. I had been given the MBE for services to peace making so I wanted to thank the Royal Family for what they had done here for peace. Princess Anne didn’t seem to be getting it, not accepting my gratitude and then she said “It’s all about HUMILITY”
She reminded me of Pope Francis who Janice and I had met the year before. We got to walk past the crowds queueing up outside St Peters and were given run of the Vatican, meeting Pope Francis in his private library. Amazing and He was so humble, indeed asking us to pray for him.
Humility in a Castle or the Vatican. Not easy. BUT a lesson I learned.
Humility is linked with service. It is a seeing and putting others above yourself. One of my favourite actors is Martin Sheen. Indeed our dog is named after the character he played in the TV series West Wing - JED. Sheen says that in his family “And we had a phrase when I was young, in our community, that one serves oneself best by serving others first.
As another singer put it
“The funny thing about life
Is you gotta give up your life to be alive”
The most amazing thing that I have learned as a minister is that we worship a humble God, - The God of the manger, donkey, towel and cross - not very God-like. Jesus as God in the flesh humbly served all around him gave himself for us all. More incredible than the Castle or Vatican actually. HUMILITY.
So congratulations on your achievements. You have shown application, hard work and intelligence in what you have won prizes in today.
These prizes will give you a clue to what your made to do. You’ll get opportunities to go to University and hopefully good jobs. You’ll be living off the Galgorm Road and driving the car of your dreams. And don’t buy a Range Rover unless you know how to park it!
BUT… that is no guarantee of a Jonathan Livingstone Seagull or 10:10 life. I think I can say that if you see the world and others with understanding and empathy in our divided world and then from a humble posturing share all your gifts and time and finances in service to others, then you will be a better doctor, lawyer, accountant, pharmacist, painter, singer, footballer or whatever…
Life was never meant to be about me, it is about those I can help, care for, stand up for. Serve.
God of the manger, donkey, towel and cross. Humility service.
So thank you for this kind invite. Thank you for listening to a man way out of touch.
As a pastor I pray that you out do Jonathan Livingston Seagull and have a life that is more than eating and drinking and working and sleeping. Indeed I pray that you’ll find that LIFE in all its fulness that Jesus invite us into. 10:10! May your deep gladness meet the world’s deepest need. May you give up your life to be alive. If you does you will be blessed and we will all benefit from your contribution.
Thank you!