Euan Murray, Rugby and the Lord’s Day

Most of you have probably not heard of Euan Murray. He’s a rugby player (a real man’s sport). He’s a Scotsman. And he’s a Christian. Unlike many Christian athletes he has reversed the trend of playing sports on Sunday.  He used to, but doesn’t any more.

Murray plays rugby at club level for Northampton and at international level for Scotland. This Sunday he will be sitting out the international game between Scotland and France–a game for which he would otherwise have been selected. He won’t be watching it on the TV either – he says “Christ doesn’t want [rugby games] to be played on Sundays”. Read the rest of a remarkable interview with him here.

Euan is an encouragement to British Christians – he’s taken a public stand for the Lord. A few years ago another high profile Christian, British athlete, by the name of Jonathan Edwards (Olympic gold medallist, world record holder) started competing on the Lord’s Day having once made a public stance to the contrary. You can read about Edwards’ apparent apostasy here. Is it wrong to conclude that the first seeds of this rebellion against God were sewn when he changed his mind over competing on the Lord’s Day? God alone knows where the decline began, but its a legitimate question nevertheless.

Pray for Euan Murray (and for Jonathan Edwards!) that he might be kept by our gracious God from turning away from His commitment to Christ by dishonoring the Law of God.  And pray that his witness, small though it may be would be blessed by God.