蜜芽传媒

The scenes were enough to make even the most hardened of us cry. Crystal Palace lifted the FA Cup on Saturday 鈥� a win over Manchester City securing the team鈥檚 first ever major trophy in 119 years.

After the win, I thought of the devoted Palace fans I know, who had supported the club without ever seeing the promised land of a title. Their entire relationship with the club marked by a kind of wilderness as far as silverware is concerned. Until now.

One lifelong supporter and friend of mine, overcome by the moment, replied to my congratulations with the words: 鈥淚 wish my father could have been here to see this.鈥�

Saturday鈥檚 scenes 鈥� and all significant sporting moments 鈥� speak to us of something deeper. As Terry Pratchett said: 鈥淭he thing about football 鈥� the important thing about football 鈥� is that it is not just about football.鈥�

Palace鈥檚 win brought home to me the profound reality that it鈥檚 about family and it鈥檚 about hope; and sometimes it鈥檚 about pressing on towards the goal, as St Paul put it, eyes fixed on the prize, despite the challenges.

For me, this was poignantly captured at Wembley when Palace supporters in one of the stands created a huge image showing a moment from 2011 when a father - Mark Wealleans 鈥� tears streaming down his face and clad in red and blue 鈥� held his young sons up as they celebrated a goal. His boys were crying too.

Tragically Mark died a few years later from cancer. But on Saturday his two sons 鈥� now grown men 鈥� were there to see a moment their dad could only have dreamed of.

The Bible is full of stories of people 鈥� sometimes generations of people - committed to a future hope they can鈥檛 see. After escaping from captivity in Egypt, the Israelites wander in the wilderness for 40 years before they reach their promised land. Moses dies before seeing it himself. The earliest Christians thought Jesus鈥� return was imminent, and though they didn鈥檛 see this moment they so hoped for 鈥� they persevered nonetheless, some giving their lives for their cause of sharing the good news.

Yesterday saw the inauguration of Pope Leo the 14th, who has devoted his life to following in the way of St Augustine. For Augustine, the Christian life is an 鈥渆xercise of holy desire鈥�, of longing and waiting for the thing we hope for. 鈥淪imply by making us wait,鈥� he wrote, God 鈥渋ncreases our desire, which in turn enlarges the capacity of our soul, making it able to receive what is to be given to us鈥�.

For Palace fans perhaps it鈥檚 precisely the long wait that added to the glory. Even if it took 119 years to come.

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