Our second Men’s Curry Night was a big success, with 40 attendees enjoying a convivial pre-dinner beverage and an excellent curry at Oxshott Village Sports Club on 6 March. The evening’s special guest was Mark Blythe, an avid and life-long all-round sportsman, who shared thought-provoking perspectives on his life of sport and his Christian faith.
It was sport that inspired Mark from an early age; he played every sport he could and was a competitive footballer, cricketer and runner. Mark married, children followed, and his sporting achievements and experiences continued. Amongst many other achievements, he became involved in sport events management and organized and competed in tall building runups internationally. He has completed an Ironman triathlon and ran his first London Marathon in 1981. He has now completed 8!
In 2012 Mark was nominated an Olympic torchbearer for London Olympics for his work with children’s football (Mark is pictured here (right), with Carl Jackson and the Olympic torch). And 12 years ago he played his first match of walking football, which is now the fastest growing sport in the UK. Mark organizes the walking football league in Surrey, and the Walton club where 200 people play every week.
Mark’s life changed dramatically in his mid-thirties. He told us how he did not have a Christian upbringing and could not see how Christianity could make any difference in his life. But he attended a large church event in Sydney with friends, where he felt the sudden overwhelming presence of God; it was like being born again, and from this point his life changed dramatically. He learned of the joy of living his faith and became a different person – putting other people first.
He reminded us about the importance of making connections. Even the smallest acts have the potential for great power. He observed that everyone makes mistakes and that life is not easy – it is a constant challenge. But prayer is there for every one of us to say sorry to God, to thank Jesus for taking on our sins, and to ask God to come into our life.