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Sitting on a train headed north to my best friend’s place in Glasgow, Scotland, I decided to message a former Colorado Rapids player and coach who is from Scotland.

Me: Hey, headed to the motherland. Thinking of you! Hope you are well.

Him: Where are you?

Me: Glasgow, for the next few days.

Him: Hey, my son just signed for Kilmarnock FC. You should ring him, he’d love to see you.

What followed was one of the exciting parts of my job as a chaplain — the chance to see and encourage a former player. We arranged to get a coffee in downtown Glasgow. Together, we reflected on the previous year and the trials and tribulations and how far he had come. We discussed the challenges of living far from home, overseas, playing for a team facing possible relegation to a lower division. We talked about his family. We talked about his faith journey.

It is rare for a chaplain to get “closure” when players and coaches and staff move on from the club. It is always a challenge to stay in contact and connected once a player, coach, or staff member has moved on. But in the moments when that does happen, there is a sweet sense of reunion and support that someone can feel from the chaplain — even when they are 5,000 miles from home.