When I started attending church regularly (which was around late 2013 early 2014) I remember seeing a small red badge that the clergy would wear. The same symbol was at my children’s school and it took me a while and a lot of squinting to figure out what it was.
Turns out it was a race track, an athletics track shaped in a triangle with the strap line “run the race look to Jesus” under it.
Catchy I thought!
I had no idea really what it meant. I didn’t know it was scripture. I didn’t know any theology about it but it kept asking me to join in.
Joining in is the first thought I had when I read the Hebrews reading this morning,
“let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith”
It reminded me that Jesus goes before us in all things. He is the one that is in front of us and we are joining in with Him, gathering others, running towards Him. Running towards the joy that He has set out before us made possible through the sacrifice of Himself.
It also reminded me that things take time. Yesterday felt a long day. We might be like this for a longer time than we originally thought.
I was annoyed by this prospect. Then I was annoyed by my own annoyance. How selfish can I be? How glad that I am forgiven!
But going back to that little red badge.
Was it there that God called me to join in the race?
Perhaps it was!
God is calling us all to join in and to keep going and even more so during these challenging times.
The good news is that we are not alone, that a great cloud of witnesses go with us. And as we wait in isolation and lock down we realise the great cloud of witnesses are not only heavenly, but those in our online communities too.
Let us run, let us allow our hearts to be moved, looking to Jesus for His peace and perseverance this day and every day.
Amen.
Sitting at the well 