It's just not cricket

Let me start by apologising that I haven’t posted a blog entry for a couple of weeks. I have been unwell and had some time off (cue sympathy). Due to my unscheduled time off I have been particularly busy since my return (insert more sympathy here). Nevertheless I am here now and I have much to talk to you about, starting with the cricket.

Cricket fans among you will be aware that India played Sri Lanka in the world cup final at the weekend. Non cricket fans, prepare to be educated. The captain of the Indian team is a chap called Mahendra Singh Dhoni, an accomplished batsman and also the team’s wicket keeper. He hadn’t had a very good tournament up to the final. His batting had been indifferent at best and he hadn’t managed a decent score in any of the matches. When the final came around, Sri Lanka batted first and posted a pretty decent total. When India’s turn came to bat, they lost their star openers very quickly and when the third wicket fell India could have been in trouble.

The skipper decided to take responsibility. He put himself up the batting order and came out to bat earlier than he normally would, despite the fact he had been having a poor tournament, despite the fact that another quick wicket would have put Sri Lanka in a commanding position and despite the fact he will have felt the weight of expectation of over a billion, fanatical Indian cricket fans, he stuck his hand up and shouldered the responsibility. He finished the game on 91 not out, India won and Dhoni was carried off the field a national hero.

I am inspired by his actions during the biggest game of his career. Against all the odds, he stood up to be counted and put in a tournament winning performance that has changed the lives of his team mates.

In truth I know hundreds of ‘Mahendra Singh Dhonis’ all around the country. People who face adversity, prejudice and a society that wants to say no, but who stick their hand up and change lives. People who freely give so much of their time to help offenders change, to help families stay in touch and to share some unconditional love with people the rest of society wants to forget about. I have story after story about lives changing because of someone who stuck their hand up and took responsibility some of which I have shared with you.

We all want a better society. We all want a safer society. We all want to see victims healed. We all want to see offenders change, stop offending and do something positive. We all want to see children that don’t go without, families who are supported, indeed, who support each other. Well I have news for you. It’s not going to happen by itself. We owe it to ourselves, to our families and to each other to stick our hands up. If we’re not prepared to stand up in any way, to take any kind of responsibility then I’m afraid we have little right to complain.

Have a think for a moment about all the times you have talked about criminals, prisons, victims, justice and the courts over a coffee or a pint. Consider all the times you have shaken your head and tutted at a newspaper report or a TV documentary. Think about all the criticism you have levelled from your armchair. Now ask yourself if you could be a Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Look at Sycamore Tree and see how Restorative Justice tears up what we thought we knew about justice. Look at Angel Tree and consider how many vulnerable children, unsupported by our society are given a little joy.

If you are not a Prison Fellowship Volunteer but you care at all about Justice, reducing offending behaviour, keeping families together and you recognise how little difference there is between you and a ‘criminal’, become a Prison Fellowship Volunteer right now! If you are a Prison Fellowship Volunteer then go and make a cup of tea because you know all this already.

Whatever you do, do something. I spent a lifetime thinking the same as everyone else, judging, offering opinions about topics I didn’t really understand. In the end, it’s just not cricket.