R.I.P. Emiliano Sala

Sala was going to be the saviour of Cardiff City F.C. He was due to arrive on a small plane from France, but sadly, instead the twenty-eight-year-old footballer lost his life when the plane he was travelling in went down in the sea near the Channel Islands. Such a handsome young man with a bright future and suddenly it is all taken away.

The footballing world has had its fair share of aircraft tragedies, from the loss of the Busby’s babes in the Munich air disaster of 1958, to the more recent loss of the Leicester City F.C. owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who died in a helicopter accident while taking off from the football stadium after a match. It is a tremendous shock when these things happen, especially when people are cut down in the prime of life.

At the time of writing, Cardiff City have won their last two games, even without Sala. It maybe that the tragedy has somehow brought the best out of the team who desire to do well in his honour. Life in many respects is so fragile and every minute that we have is so valuable, and yet so often we waste time. The phrase, “One life - Live it!” comes to mind. You don’t have to own a Landrover to follow this motto!

Jesus Christ died in the prime of life at 30 years of age. So young. What a waste. Think what He could have achieved if He had lived much longer. Maybe things would have been different; maybe He could have conquered the world with God’s love, if only he had more time. To many, His life looked at best incomplete and at worst a failure. Here’s the irony. It was the manner of Jesu’s death that has affected mankind in every generation. So many people have found the meaning of life through His death. His death offers us a new start in life, with a new prospective, with new hope and purpose.

This Easter, think about Him who gave His life for us.

Receive from Him a new focus on life and follow His example.

May you all know God’s richest blessing,

Martin