The Race

Victory
Ezekiel 27:1-28:26

"Because you are proud, you say, "I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the middle of the seas." You think you are as wise as a god, but you are a human, not a god....You became too proud because of your beauty. You ruined your wisdom because of your greatness. I threw you to the ground. Your example taught a lesson to other kings." (Ezekiel 28:1,17)

These chapters consist of a funeral song for the city of Tyre which will be destroyed as well as this prophecy against the king. In the winners circle, on the podium, it's often hard to be humble... but there is something about races that instill in me great humility. First of all, I'm not very fast. :o)

Runners know that in long races (often marathons), it's customary to have "a rabbit" who starts pushes the pace and runs ahead of the group, encouraging them to proceed at a faster pace. While the "rabbit" may not continue the whole race at least at that neck-breaking pace, it's still amazing to marvel at the speed. The "rabbit" in a very real way helps the very first runner to achieve their place on that podium. And so it is with everything in life: graduation from college- a great deal of credit goes to our teachers, a new job- perhaps due to connections from friends, etc. We all would do good to recognize that there is one God. The rest of the team just tries to "keep up the pace."

Defeat
Psalm 129:1-4

"They have treated me badly all my life. (Let Israel repeat this.) They have treated me badly all my life, but they have not defeated me." (Psalm 129:1-2)

Defeat stinks! Arriving at the finish line after "pulling the meat wagon" for the last 3 miles... able to sprint the last 200 and not leaving it all on the finish line. (This is all hypothetical, of course...nothing to do with the 1/2 marathon I just ran. ;o) Even worse is not finishing at all, suffering an injury (shin splints, stress fractures, pain). Still, just finishing is an accomplishment, and so is even starting. Runners know that most of the work involved in racing occurs before the actual race day.

Defeat and suffering are a very real part of our lives- illness, death, loss (of a job, of a loved one, of love), etc. Yet, the ultimate victory belongs to the Christian whose eternal prize awaits in heaven... an eternity with our savior. While we love to see the Bible all "cor de rosa," it's actually much more real than we paint it. God doesn't ignore the fact that we will suffer, but God promises that "in the long run" (hehe), we will not be defeated.

Training
Hebrews 12:1-29

"We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back." (Hebrews 12:1)

This is another of my favorite verses. I know, I'm always saying that, but it's always true. No wonder they call it "the Good Book." I firmly believe that the race of life is a marathon, not a 5o yard dash. Now, all sprinters can clearly call out my bias here, as I admit to being a seasoned distance runner. But, to me it makes sense.

Let's just take a look at this beautiful verse. The bond of all my amazing friends on the cross country team is similar to the great cloud of people (some versions say witnesses) that encourage me in my spiritual race in the manner of their living. Also, race is singular. There is one goal, one prize, and we are to never give up. While it's possible to hobble through a 50 yard race, distance runners know the part of the race where you "hit the wall" and start to wonder... "Why am I doing this again? Why can't I stop?" Living a Christian life clearly presents its challenges along the road... making moral decisions about who you will love and accept, giving a little more (love, time, energy, money) away, living and following Christ's call (as opposed to the most advantageous job offer). "Getting rid of things that hold us back" is another reason I felt so closely connected to my running friends who general tend to have more healthy, productive lifestyles. As Christians, there are habits (sins) that need to be kicked (malicious gossip, prideful boasting, insert your own struggle here). Without the burden of these sins, the runner/Christian is set on "the fast track." ;o) So, among other things, Hebrews appears to say that Christians (like runners) need a to be surrounded by a community of believers, continue with perseverance, and turn from sin in order to "keep on keeping on."