In a residential neighborhood on Moorfield Street in Manchester, England you will find a mural painted across the red brick outer wall of a home. The mural was painted by a man who is only known through his social media persona of AkseP19. He sought to memorialize an individual whose impact in England cannot be ignored.
While the covid-19 pandemic affected so many around the world, in this part of England a soccer player, Marcus Rashford, a player who grew up not far from where the mural was painted, dared to ask his nation why not?
The general question was: why can we not feed every, single, child in England during the pandemic? Why must children go to school without food while at home their loved ones fight covid-19?
He asked the question to as many people as he could.
Marcus never wavered in his stance or feeling about child hunger. He gave sacrificially from his own pocket first. . . That helped but more was needed. So he asked his club team, Manchester United, to help. . . They did as well. Still children were hungry in England so Marcus took the bold step of pressing Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, to step in. And Johnson helped.
As the pandemic and quarantine worked their way through England, some thought that they could end the free food program. . . Marcus would have none of it. He pressed harder and deeper. His work was a success! It impacted the country so much that Queen Elizabeth II summoned Rashford on October 10, 2020 to Buckingham Palace. There in a special ceremony, on her birthday, Marcus was awarded an MBE (This stands for Member of the British Empire given to individuals who do extraordinary things to support the country) by the Queen of England.
It is a tremendous honor for the 22 year-old to receive. It was something that he never dreamt of getting when he dared to wonder why children during a pandemic have to deal with hunger issues as well as covid-19.
Now let’s fast-forward to yesterday. Rashford misses his penalty kick that could have won England the European Championship over Italy in Wembley Stadium in London. Tragic for sure, but these things happen in sports. We do our best and we can lose anyway. . . But it would get worse. . .
Over night, the mural painted in his childhood neighborhood was defaced in protest with racial symbols and wording. It was a tragedy and it was shocking. Why would someone paint racial abuse on a mural because the subject missed his penalty kick?
Yet, again something beautiful happened.
One of the neighbors who lived close to the mural came out that morning and began to hang black trash bags or plastic over the vandalism. She just didn’t want anyone to see it. Rashford, who received multiple death threats because of the missed shot, suffered enough, she felt.
Neighbors poured from their homes with tiny scraps of paper, with paper hearts, and markers. Each left a note of support for Marcus thanking him for what he’s done for England and their children. The over $25 million that he raised to feed their children was all they could remember when they thought of him—not a missed shot.
Something dark. Something hateful, and hate-filled, turned into a moment of honor and one of love.
We will not be asked by God to stand against large systemic issues alone often. But what we will be asked, and what we are asked to do, is to find a moment, or find a person who is suffering, and offer them the equivalent of those little notes taped to a wall in Manchester England that now cover an incident of racial abuse.
Offer that person a word of love today. Give them a word of hope and compassion when they need it the most. Tell them that what they have done, and what they endured, is not the end to their story. They are so much more. And by doing so, we participate once again in God’s loving act of ministry.
Blessings
Rev. Derek
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