IT was a great privilege last Sunday as Bishop of Burnley to be invited to Burnley Town Hall to celebrate Burnley football club’s success – now a premier club in a premier town.

It was good occasion, but meeting some Blackburn folk later, the odd jibe against the neighbouring town could not be avoided – all in fun!

But we know that there are some supporters of both the town’s clubs who have allowed the joke to become stale and disturbance and vandalism occur.

How hard it is sometimes to celebrate the success of another – so hard in fact that these rivalries can quickly turn to dislike and even hatred.

This has happened so often in our world history. Palestinian and Israeli at loggerheads: the awfulness of girls abducted in Nigeria, because of conflict and rivalry and now also the fear of what will happen in Ukraine, between Ukranian and those who live in Ukraine but want to join with Russia.

Knowing when to allow difference to be a cause of celebration and when to see the joking moving to conflict is a fine line.

We may not be able to involve ourselves on the international stage of reconciliation and peace, but there is plenty to occupy us nearer to home.

How we resist the joke of racism, knowing that it is not funny but divisive; how we reject discrimination through class etc – again mindful that joking can bring hurt – does not mean that we can’t still laugh at our Lancastrian difference from Yorkshire and they with us, as we build up friendships together, being mindful of where to draw the line.

I follow the Lord Jesus who celebrated difference, calling all sorts of people to be his disciples, sometimes shocking others in his readiness to enjoy the company of tax collectors, foreigners and even those who were by force occupying the country of Israel.

It is this that keeps me mindful of the need to rejoice in the good times of others and perhaps next year may even be a time for Burnley to celebrate with Blackburn as they too re-enter the premier!