No sport on Sundays? That's a bit old-fashioned.

Michael Jones

No games today in the Football World Cup (Friday, Brazil time) - a holy pause, a Sabbath rest in the global game. Time for reflection and consider this piece Never on Sunday, which looks at the issues around Christians playing sport on Sunday. It's a longish piece (a chapter from a book) - and offers no easy answers, but things to consider. Here are some highlights, featuring 1920s runner Eric Liddell, and New Zealand rugby player from the 1980s-90s: Michael Jones.
Eric Liddell chose not to run in the 1924 Olympic Games 100 metres, because the final would be held on a Sunday. Instead, he chose to run the 200 and 400 metre events - he gained bronze in the 200 and gold in the 400. The win was made the more poignant by a note handed to him before the race: 'He who honours me I will honour.'(1 Samuel 2:30.)

Later, he said, 'There are many people today who think of those who honour Sunday in an old-fashioned way as kill-joys. They feel that during the years of their youth they ought to have a chance to "have their fling". Give me the day of rest, when all the savours of organised games can be put on one side and all life's joys will be greater because of it.'

Michael Jones refused to play on Sundays. But in the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, he was good enough to play in the quarter-final, opt out of the Sunday semi-final and still be chosen for the final. He missed out of more games in the 1991 World Cup in Europe.

'Opinions differed on Michael's decision to make himself unavailable for the Sunday games. Some saw it as the supreme example of a Christian sportsman putting his principles first and saying that his faith in God - and his view of Sunday - were more important than a game of rugby, even a World Cup semi-final. Others saw it as a waste of his talent, arguably denying his team the chance of winning the World Cup.'

Of his stand, Michael said: 'When you stop playing rugby people easily forget you; one thing for which I would like to be remembered is as a person who put God first, before rugby. If it's been worthwhile doing that then it is worthwhile, and I feel it's important that people who never would have heard about God have done so through my stand. If I've been able to show people that there is obviously a God who must exist or else someone wouldn't be prepared to do that, then I feel it's been worth it. If I can do that I'm happy.'