Fabio

It took some getting used to, having an England football coach called Fabio Capello.  Surely that must be a musical instruction? Fabio didn't speak English but football is, I quote the Football Association, a universal language. 

No point in being sniffy about these things.  Our church frontage is Italianate (apparantly).  Why should we not integrate an Italian front to our national football team?  Success!!   Fabio led our national football team to a glorious qualification for the World Cup finals tournament in South Africa and then . . .

Then Fabio, previously known for his record of successive successes, became as English as apple pie.  He led us to ignominious sporting defeat.  Football is a universal language.  And everyone says the same thing - when England play in the World Cup they get knocked out by Germany (if someone hasn't knocked them out earlier, which very nearly happened).  Fabio speaks our language!  He's entered our culture!  He's integrated - one of us now - remembered for sporting defeat.

It was so different when he was appointed.  Then, from his very limited store of English vocabulary he uttered the priceless comment (on the prospect of being England football coach),

It is a beautiful challenge

That was a first.  No English coach has ever called it that.  Nor with the benefit of a wider vocabulary and the experience of failing will Fabio himself ever utter the phrase again.  A unique way to remember him.  It inspires me to a text from Ecclesiastes for Fabio;

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what He has done from beginning to end.

Fabio has certainly driven me to think less about football and more about eternity.  The rest is self explanatory. 

Except of course the text is really about God.  The unfathomable works of God are a cause for spiritual longing and praising His glory.  The unfathomable works of Fabio became a cause for switching TV channels and planning summer vacations instead.