Spoiler Alert

Manchester United kicked off their new season yesterday and Adam and I eagerly sat down together to watch the match on television. Unfortunately the kick off coincided with our Sunday dinner (appalling timing by Fionnuala I know) so we paused the live feed of the match to allow us to eat. This meant that when we finally sat down to resume our viewing we were 15 minutes behind the actual live action.

‘Whatever you do don’t check your phone’ I sagely warned Adam knowing full well that any goals would be plastered all over social media in an instance. He nodded in agreement and we shut ourselves off from the outside world in order to enjoy the first half. About 30 minutes later Adam’s phone pinged. Before I had any opportunity to shout ‘Noooooooooo’ and leap across the room in slow motion stylee he had picked it up and glanced at the screen.

The realisation of what he had done slowly dawned and he sheepishly looked over at me. ‘There’s been a goal hasn’t there?’ I sighed. ‘Yeah’ he replied. ‘Well is it good news or bad news?’ I ventured nervously. A smile crossed his face. ‘Oh good news’ he cheerily responded. Sure enough 15 minutes later United scored paving the way for a comfortable 4-0 victory. For the remainder of the game his phone was resolutely ignored. 

I thought nothing more of the episode until I was on the train this morning on my daily commute to Belfast. Upon boarding at my stop I saw only one empty seat in the carriage so made a beeline for it pushing out of my way any old ladies who had the misfortune to be in my path. Okay I made up that last bit. I planted myself in the vacant berth paying no attention to who sitting beside me.

About five minutes into the journey I did happen to look over and instantly regretted it. Next to me sat a man with earphones plugged in watching a show on his tablet. And not just any old show but my favourite series ‘Game of Thrones’. I immediately looked straight ahead as the next episode did not air in the United Kingdom until later tonight. Was he one of those diehards who has downloaded the episode overnight when it was aired in the United States? Aaaaaaarrrrrghhh! Spoiler Alert!

Must not look. Must not look I muttered to myself; a cold sweat broke out on my forehead as the train neared its destination. To look again would be disastrous as it would ruin the episode for me when I watched it later tonight. But try as I might I found my line of vision inching inexorably to my left and towards the screen of the tablet. I had no control over my body. It had rebelled and given in to the overwhelming urge to find out what the inhabitants of Westeros were up to.

And there here was. The heroic Jon Snow standing alone, broadsword raised shoulder high, as an attachment of enemy cavalry galloped towards him. I looked on in horror, unable to avert my gaze as my Monday night TV treat evaporated before my eyes. A second later hope was restored. This scene looked very familiar. In fact it looked just like a battle scene from the previous season. Maybe, my subconscious gently prompted me, that’s because it was a battle scene from the previous season. I was watching a rerun. Disaster had narrowly been avoided and Ser Stephen of Belfasteros lived to watch television another day. Or tonight at least. 

I survived both the Manchester United and Game of Thrones ‘spoiler alerts’. This is the term that is used with increased frequency nowadays to warn us that something we are about to read/watch/listen is imminent which may ruin a future visual or audio event. It is particularly prevalent as we record so much now as opposed to watching it in real time. We spend much of our days avoiding social media and friends in the event that they may let the cat out of the bag and forewarn us of an important sports score or the plot of that movie we have been meaning to watch for weeks.

We literally live our lives with our hands over our ears running around  shouting ‘La La La don’t tell me’ with our eyes tightly shut. It is ironic that we are part of a society with unlimited access to,and an insatiable desire for, information. Yet in the same breath we spend so much of our time actively avoiding it in the event that it spoils our viewing pleasure. We want it filtered through to us in a fashion that fits in with our schedules and not those of the rest of the planet. Because it’s all about us after all right?

One of the (many) good things about being a Christian is that you do not need to worry about ‘spoiler alerts’. Because it is impossible to be one for even five minutes without knowing what God has mapped out for mankind. One day it will all come to a crescendo and the teachings of Jesus clearly indicate there will be a time of judgement for believers and non believers alike. And on that day there will be no point sticking your head in the sand as the time for excuses will be over. 

On that day the truth will be revealed. Everyone will be judged. Fairly and without favouritism. There will be no wriggle room or extenuating circumstances. It will be too late. We will all have been given enough chances. For the just just and righteous the reward is eternity with God. To the rest eternal separation from God. Also known as Hell. It’s not a very palatable truth and many people (Christians included) tend to avoid talking about it.

There is no ‘spoiler alert’ as far as Jesus is concerned. It is all set out in black and white in the Bible. For anyone to see. Choose to follow him and adhere to his teachings. Love people. Help the needy. Care for the hopeless and helpless. Fight evil in all its many forms. Speak and live the truth whatever the consequences. Do whatever you can wherever you can to make the world a better place. 

Make each day count. For it could be your last. And then it will be too late. No point shouting ‘spoiler alert’ and covering your ears for that day is coming for us all whether we are prepared or not.

Now feel free to comment on this post but whatever you do, DO NOT tell me what happened on Game of Thrones last night.

1 John 4:17 – ‘By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgement; because as he is, so also are we in this world.’

Do you ever find yourself watching other people’s tablets on public transport?

Have you ever fallen foul of the dreaded ‘spoiler alert’?

Do you live each day as if it is your last? If you knew it was what would you change?