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Viewpoint from Rev Matthew Price 21/07/2023
 Rev Matthew Price is Vicar of St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston
Bishop’s Adviser for Urban and Estates Ministry
I love Wimbledon! There’s something about Wimbledon fortnight that means that summer has finally arrived and holidays are just around the corner. But it's not just that; I get absorbed in the games and, because I don’t follow tennis at any other time of year, players I have never heard of before suddenly become household names. This year, it was names like Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune that stormed into my consciousness with extraordinary performances
But, perhaps the most striking thing about this year’s championship, was the experience of Andy Murray. For the third year in a row, after he had made a colossal effort to recover from his surgery and injuries, he was knocked out in the second round
 In his post-match interview, cutting a forlorn figure, when he was asked about his plans for the future he said, very honestly, “I don't know… Motivation is obviously a big thing…I need to weigh up if all the hard work is worth it”
And it got me thinking. This guy has clearly grown up in a competitive, focussed home environment where competition, skill, and tennis achievement are valued highly. He has gone on to live with the immense pressure of the hopes and expectations of the British public - as we long for him to win for us once again! But, undoubtedly, the most powerful force of expectation and drive is within himself - only he can push himself physically and mentally as he has done, year after year after year
And yet, these pressures, external and internal, can be crippling. What is he now to do? Who is he, if he is not a winning British tennis player? What is his life to be about, if not being the number one?
It is into these questions of identity, purpose and meaning that I find the words of Jesus Christ speak. A personal relationship with the maker of the universe and the one who therefore knows and loves us intimately, gives such self-assurance. Finding my identity as simply a child of God gives me roots beyond imagining. Realizing that he has created each of us for a purpose in this world; a purpose brought about through the ups and downs of life, and ultimately his death and resurrection; this gives me hope. As the old hymn goes: ‘because He lives, I can face the future’
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