A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
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| Cassandra Austen, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Anonymous early portrait of Tyndale now in Hertford College, Oxford, Public Domain via WIkipedia |
Last Tuesday wasn't quite a day off in that I spent much if it in St Giles Christian Mission planning the next Westminster Conferences with the committee. Once I was out though I walked another section of the Thames Path, from Somerset House to Blackfriars. all very interesting once again. This is where we leave Westminster and enter the CiIty. Relasing evening too.
We had a week of prayer meetings last week, which we try to do twice a year. We held six prayer meetings, two early in the morning, two in the evening and then one on the day and a final prayer breakfast on the Saturday. It was slightly different this time in that our evening meetings were on Tuesday and Wdnesday (rather than Wednesday and Thursday) and the day time prayer eeting was on the Thursday. Also, we did not sing at all this time, which is not our usual pattern. It was good to see people at each meeting and to take art. We too easily forget how important prayer is.
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The Portuguese player was Eusébio, full name Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (1942–2014). Nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" or "The King" ("O Rei") he is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time and Benfica's best player ever. He was known for his speed, technique, athleticism and right-footed shot, making him a prolific goalscorer, accumulating 733 goals in 745 matches. He helped Portugal to third place in the1966 World Cup, being the top goalscorer of the tournament with nine goals.
Also nicknamed “The King”, the Brazilian was known as Pelé, although his actual name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022). Pelé was a nickname based on his young mispronunciation of the name of another player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of his century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Century and Time put him on their list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2000, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics voted him World Player of the Century and he was made, with Maradona, joint FIFA Player of the Century.
One of the interesting and more obscure things about these men is that their names are in the Bible. That is to say, in the New Testament you will find the Greek original of Eusébio, Eusebios, and in the Old Testament you will find a Hebrew word remarkably like the word Pelé.
The name Eusébio or Eusebeo means to be pious or devout. It is made up of the short adjective eu or good and the verb sebesthai which means to honour or respect. In its different forms the word occurs about six times and is translated devout or godly and can mean to serve God or to worship him.
So in Acts (10:2, 7) we read that Cornelius was devout, as was Ananias who helped Paul when he was first converted (22:12). In 2 Peter 2:9 Peter tells us that the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials. In 1 Timothy 5:4 Paul says that the children or grandchildren of widows first learn to show godliness to (or put their faith or religion into practice with) their own household and to make some return to their parents. In Acts 17;23 Paul tells the Athenians that he is proclaiming to them a God they worship as unknown.
So if and when you come across the name Eusébio, it may call to mind the way the New Testament uses related words and set you thinking of the importance of devotion, worship and putting your faith into practice.
As for the name Pelé or Pele, this appears in the Hebrew Old Testament some 13 times, most often to refer to wonders or marvellous things God has done. See Exodus 15:11, Isaiah 25:1 and 29:14, Daniel 12:6 and several places in the Psalms (77, 11, 14; 78:12; 88:10, 12; 89:5). In Psalm 119:129 David refers to God's Word as wonderful using this word. More unusual is Lamentations 1:9 where it says that Israel has fallen wonderfully or her fall has been a wonder. Modern versions sat it was tragic, terrible, amazing or astounding. Perhaps the most astounding pele verse is Isaiah 9:6 where we read For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The wonderful of the first title is that word pele.
So again if and when you come across the name Pelé, it may call to mind the way the Old Testament uses this word pele and set you thinking of God's Wonders and especially of Jesus Christ the wonderful counsellor.
As for Johan Cruyff, the surname at least is nowhere to be found in our Bibles.
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| Palace of Versailles, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons |
