4 July 2026

We managed to watch the second half of the England versus DR Congo in the World Cup competition on Wednesday. At that point, England was 1-0 down. It was a tense game until England scored two goals and won the match 2-1.

As you can imagine, the fans in the stadium and in the fan zones in England were ecstatic when both goals were scored but, in particular, when Harry Kane scored the second having already scored the first. It was a remarkable feat.

He kicked the ball with amazing accuracy and strength whilst not even having an eye on the goal.  It all happened so fast. Kane was in the right place at the right time. Because he was so aware of his position in relation to the goal, he didn’t need to set his eyes upon it.

Time and place are very important not only on a football pitch but also in the church. Time is marked out by the Christian Year – Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and their periods of preparation. But, we also need to sense the right time to act. Is this the right time for a stewardship campaign or a parish visitation?

Place is also exceedingly important. Being rooted to the geography of the parish gives us the opportunity to get to know the people who live there, their customs, traditions and way of life. In this way, we grow into the place and begin to identify with the community.

As a parish minister, it sometimes happened that I was in  a particular place at exactly the right time. It is very fulfilling. It happens more as we become  sensitive to the needs of the people, keeping our ear to the ground and our eye on the ball, striking it home without a second thought nor another look!