Armchair Experts

In last night’s football a few men, representing England and Spain, playing in Germany, were watched by millions. Studio experts explained, analysed, criticised; at home, enthusiasts who watch every match, occasional fans taking an interest; all armchair experts.

In the recent general election, we heard about immigration, the national economy, law and order, healthcare provision, environmental issues. We may have left our homes to vote, but we’re armchair experts. We know what the politicians should do.

Those who’ve never been to church say what’s wrong with it, what it should be doing; those who used to come to church say why they left, how the church should change; regular church goers say what should happen, who should do what, what we should all believe. Armchair experts.

Andrea Jaeger became a professional tennis player at the age of 14… world No.2 at 16… youngest ever semi-finalist at the US Open… reached the Wimbledon final at 18…

…She sold her car, jewellery, watches, made charitable donations… studied theology and ministry training… became a nun, entering a Dominican Sisterhood Programme.

‘It’s a strict discipline. I wake at 4am, do my prayers and my spiritual study, then I start work at 5am or 6am…’

She started by running activity programmes for children with cancer. Now 38 years on, she runs the Little Star Foundation, offering long-term care to ill and neglected children across the US. Not an inactive armchair expert.

Dr Martin Shaw, after a lifetime of studying, teaching at Stamford, disconnecting with formal religion, came to faith later in life:

‘After I was baptised… I went to a local Anglican church and tried the Catholics and the Baptists – they were all very nice, but I didn’t want warm and fuzzy… I ended up in a tiny Orthodox church… The priest didn’t ask how I was feeling or bring me a doughnut. But it felt for the first time in my life that I was having not a transactional experience of Christianity but a transformational one.’

…He left his armchair.