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THE Olympics provided an amazing set of memories and images – victory and defeat, elation and dejection.
In the speed-climbing, two competitors side by side seemed to fly up a sheer face hardly touching the holds.
The whole race lasted just seven seconds.
One competitor slipped on one hold, and the commentator said: “There goes years of preparation”.
At the other end of the scale, the men’s 50km walk. Its an odd walking action, and quite painful to watch.
Three hours and 50 minutes of just keeping on going as fast as you can.
These events teach us something about life.
There will be times when split seconds count, when a short burst of maximum effort is needed, and other times when we just need to keep on going.
Perhaps some of the stress of life is that we don’t always know which is which.
The Bible often uses the picture of running the race, of keeping going to the end, of fixing our eyes on the prize of heaven.
But it also has the exhortation to
“walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time”.
It would be foolish to set off on in a race with no idea where you are going or how you are going to get there, to wander aimlessly and not look where you are going.
No one wins a medal that way!
The Bible gives a destination – heaven – and a direction. It gives hope and purpose for life.
And as Christians we are part of a team, helping and encouraging and cheering each other on.