running

I love running. Since getting into it about three years ago, I have found that it to be rewarding in many ways. Having goals to work towards and seeing improvements have been motivating. Probably more importantly for me however, has been having the time to let my mind wander, process and work through what is going on in my life. Fortunately for me, within about ten minutes, I can find myself in nature and when I’m feeling in the right place, I can let that teach me lessons too. 

There are a few references to running in the New Testament. In one of them, Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This led me into thinking about what this might mean or how it could apply to my life now. One thing that leaps to mind is that endurance running is not a sprint. Trying to cram everything into too short a time will quickly lead to exhaustion and having to slow down or even stop. Going at a sustainable, purposeful pace in life, which will vary from person to person, is much more constructive. There are times when the speed of life picks up or slows down which is natural and ok but our journey of faith is one for the long-haul. Haring off will not be helpful. 

Running with endurance requires training. Regular patterns of feeding our souls and having appropriate practices will strengthen our lives of faith. Ways this can be expressed include by regularly meeting with others and sharing what is going on in your life. Reading scripture or learning more can expand our knowledge and understanding of the divine. Our faith can also be consolidated by listening to talks and podcasts or taking time out to listen, pray or meditate. This training will help prepare us for those parts of the race of life that is difficult, when giving up or quitting hold more attraction. 

Finally, although there are many ways that it can be refined and bodies can be made stronger, running fundamentally boils down to repeatedly putting one foot in front of the other. It’s not complicated. It’s not glamorous. It strikes me that for many of the characters that I learned stories about growing up within a church context, the Bible only tells of one or two main events in their lives. For the rest of it, I wonder if their lives comprised mainly of the consistent and repetitive taking the next step, making the next best choice. This training, this repetition, these sustained practices then meant they would have been prepared to make those positive choices when it was important to do so. If this is true, it can give us encouragement when life seems like a plod, with no end in sight. If we can just keep putting one foot in front of the other, to keep pushing forwards even when conditions are tough, we will be running the race that is our lives with endurance in the way that the writer of the letter to the Hebrews was encouraging.