[This reflection by David Makanjuala was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 20/Jul/2025]
It’s that time of year, so picture a tennis ball lying in one corner of Centre court at Wimbledon. On that tennis ball – one of many scattered around the court – there are tiny specks of dust. A couple of them – we shall call them speck 1 and speck 2 – start to talk to each other (allow your imagination to take over from here).
Speck 1 says, “I know there are many other balls out there – we can see them. I wonder if they also have specks like us on them?” Speck 2 says, “Who knows? I am convinced though, that we didn’t just turn up here in Wimbledon out of nowhere. I think someone put this ball we find ourselves on in this place for a reason”. “Hmmm” says speck 1, “I’ve even heard some of the other specks of dust say that ‘Someone’ has the whole of this ball, and all the other ones we can see, in his hands”.
“Well, if that’s the case”, speck 2 says, “he must be so much bigger than us and we are probably too tiny for him to see us. There’s no way we could matter to him”. “Yes, but here’s the thing” says speck 1, “I heard some other specks saying he does exist, and that we matter to him so much so that he became a speck of dust like us and moved into the neighbourhood to prove that he cares”.
“That is mind blowing stuff” says speck 2. “I’ll bet that when he came, everyone welcomed him and made sure he had a good time”. “You would have thought so” replied speck 1, “but no, as the story goes, many of the specks didn’t really get on with him and indeed, they ended up treating him very badly and rejecting him”.
“No way”, says speck 2. “Well, I bet he showed them who was boss and made them pay for how they treated him”. “No”, says speck 1, “that’s where the story gets even stranger. He didn’t make them pay. He forgave them and promised to one day get as many of them as wanted to be his friends to come and live with him in his father’s house”.
“Wow”, said speck 2, “Who would have thought that little specks like us actually do matter to someone”. “Anyhow”, said speck 1, “it’s probably just a story. Nothing to be taken seriously. Next thing they’ll be telling us there are other tournaments apart from Wimbledon, when it’s clear that this is all there is”.
Speck 2 remained silent, however. Something had started to stir within him. A feeling that there was more to his life than Centre court at Wimbledon. That there was indeed someone out there to whom he mattered – someone he would describe as, a ‘speck saver’. He was determined to find out.
You can switch off your imagining now and come back to real life. God does hold the whole world in his hands, and Jesus did come down to be with us, because we matter to Him. If like speck 2, you are keen to find out how to become His friend, be reassured, for Jesus says in John’s gospel, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away”.[1]
Resources:
[1] John 6:37
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Last Sunday’s reflection: Holiday Conversations by Dennis Ginter
Contributed by David Makanjuala; © David Makanjuala