Sacrificial leadership gives a glimpse of Christ’s character

How much Netflix have you watched during COVID-19? Or Prime Video, Hulu, or Disney Plus? Be honest. I’m not telling you how much I’ve watched because I don’t want to cause you to stumble into judging me! But I will say that the best thing I’ve watched during this time of lockdown and social distancing, hands down, has been The English Game on Netflix. I’ve never been a big fan of soccer or Downton Abbey, and this show is basically a mash-up of those two, but for some reason, it drew me in like a neon light beckoning a moth.

This six-episode gem tells the story of how football transitioned from being an amateur sport played by privileged gentlemen in and around London to a professional sport loved and played by the working class of all of Great Britain. Of course, the show is “based on a true story,” so whether the show portrays things as they actually happened is debatable. (To be clear, I am not writing a television recommendation…though I’m not not writing it either.)

“The Darwen Mill community experiences a bit of what God is like because of the example of James Walsh’s example of grace, goodness and generosity.”

While the story follows two protagonists, Fergus Suter, the professional player and working class hero, and Arthur Kinnaird, the amateur player and wealthy gentleman, my favorite character is Mr. James Walsh, owner of the Darwen Mill. The story isn’t about Walsh per se, but he influences everything that happens.

Walsh feels fatherly compassion for his employees, even as his fellow mill owners want to ensure profits over the well-being of their workers. He understands that his decisions aren’t just about his bottom line – his mill is part of the lifeblood of the community and what happens there affects everyone in the town. He chooses to see the big picture of culture change and fights to be on the right side of right and wrong. Most powerfully, he loves his community, his employees and the game of soccer, even when it costs him dearly. 

We know little to nothing of Walsh’s beliefs or religion. The show makes little mention of church or religion — and when it does, it can be quite negative! Yet the Darwen Mill community experiences a bit of what God is like because of the example of James Walsh’s example of grace, goodness and generosity. 

In a season of COVID-19 and economic change, in an election year, in the midst of social unrest and the struggle for true liberty and justice for all, we find ourselves living in New England communities that need people, pastors and leaders like James Walsh who reflect something of the character and goodness of God. As we move into the second half of 2020, I have a prayer for us all:

Gracious Lord, as things begin to re-open, will you give us — your people and your local churches — such favor that our communities know our churches are for them? Please, Lord, give our neighbors the sense that we are for them even if it costs us. God of glory, I pray our churches begin to thrive in revival and awakening even as our communities feel an odd sadness that they would be worse off if we weren’t there in a post-COVID world. And Father God, may we capture Your heart so that people who may not know much about You can still know what You’re like because they know us.

JD Mangrum is the church planting pastor of Christ Church Charlestown in Charlestown, MA.