Comrades!

DAILY BYTE

Next Sunday I will be lining up with about 17000 others who will be attempting to run the 87kms from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in this year’s Comrades Marathon.

To say that this is a daunting prospect is a massive understatement. In anyone’s language, 87kms is a jolly long way to run. Having run this race a few times before, and having heard the “war-stories” of countless others, I am also well aware that no matter how adequately (or inadequately) one has prepared, and no matter how familiar (or unfamiliar) one may be with the course and the general experience, on race day there are so many unknown factors that may arise that are virtually impossible to predict.

As such, lining up to run the Comrades means stepping into a great adventure that can unfold in many different ways that can be truly exhilarating, or heartbreaking, or just plain painful, or deeply moving, or a combination of all of these. Standing before this great mystery requires great humility. There is something completely uncompromising about 87kms of road that lies there unchanging, inviting those who dare to venture across it, unapologetic about the demands that it makes and the questions it asks. Any hint of arrogance on the part of those running it will quickly be exposed.

At the risk of sounding quite sentimental and predictably clichéd, this reminds me of the great adventure of life which stretches out before us all. For in a similar way to the long, winding route of 87kms for those running the Comrades, our life’s path lies before us all – with many twists and turns, uphills and downhills. The invitation to follow this road is an invitation to step into the unknown, for who among us really know what awaits us in this great adventure that is life?

For some, the sense of life’s unknowns is intimidating and frightening, which they deal with by trying to exert as much control as they can over every facet of their lives. For others, they gladly step into the unknown with a posture of reverence and awe, eager to be surprised and curious about what all will be encountered along the way. I guess that there’s a bit of both of these responses in all of us. But I have a hunch that the capacity to embrace the unknown as a gift can open us to a deeper awe and reverence before the great mystery of life.

There are many other parallels between the Comrades Marathon and life in general – and the Christian life in particular. If you’ll forgive the indulgence, I’ll be reflecting on this broad theme in this week’s devotions as part of my preparation for race day next Sunday. But also in the hope that all of us, whether we’re involved in the Comrades Marathon in any way or not, will become a little more mindful of the ways in which we give ourselves to the race which is ours.

PRAY-AS-YOU-GO

Almighty God, life is truly a gift from you, and we thank you for it. There is so much about this gift that is unpredictable, uncertain and which cannot be controlled. But what is certain is that underneath it all is the sure reality of your presence and steadfast love. Thank you that our lives, with all their varied twists and turns, are held securely in the hollow of your hand. Help us to see that as we open ourselves in gratitude to all that life brings our way, we are also opening ourselves to you. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING

2 Timothy 4:7

“I have fought the good fight. I have run the race. I have kept the faith. What awaits me now is the crown of righteousness which the Lord will give me on that day.”