Ireland’s fantastic win over New Zealand has been well documented during the week. For me one of the highlights of the game started with the haka. As we know Ireland formed the figure 8, in memory of the late Antony Foley, just in front of the haka. The haka as performed by New Zealand at the start of a game, can be powerfully strong and intimidating. Many teams can be put off their stride no matter how much mental preparation goes into pre match preparations. The Irish team with their silent tribute in a figure 8 formation, competely neutralised the the intimidation and powerful energy of the haka. There is a key message in there for us too. Every hostility, conflict, tension, hurt, disappointment can be neutralised by bringing in something else to balance things out. From a spiritual point of view we believe that love is the one thing that can bring balance into so many situations that crave for balance.

If only we could believe the difference love can make in our lives. We go around carrying so many heavy and negative burdens. We add to their weight by thinking that we are outside the circle of God’s love. We feel we are outside because of stuff we have done, mistakes made or a feeling that God has let us seriously down somewhere. But God’s circle of love goes way beyond our limitations and setbacks. We’re headstrong and we hold tough. We’re outside the circle and we feel there’s no going back in. But today God says to each of us that we are within this circle of love. We’ve got to take a step forward and we’ve got to believe that God is on our side. Nobody and nothing can take that away from us.