A Runner’s Prayer – Part 2

DAILY BYTE

Yesterday we started exploring a section of St Patrick’s Breastplate that has particular meaning for me as a runner. Today I’d like to conclude those thoughts as we look at the remaining part of that prayer:

Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger

Christ beneath me
As my feet continually pound the tarmac thousands upon thousands times, I love to imagine that they are actually being cushioned by Christ who is beneath me. From a technical running perspective it also reminds me to run with ‘quiet feet’ – that is, not to slap my feet on the tar – which is better for a smooth ‘heel to toe’ motion that improves the weight transfer through your feet as you strike the ground with each stride, thereby minimizing the harsh impact on your joints.

Walking gently through this world by being aware that wherever we tread we are indeed walking on holy ground, is one of the best ways of minimizing the harsh impact that we otherwise might have on others and the earth. When I pray ‘Christ beneath me’ it’s a further reminder that the whole earth on which I live is God’s, and that I need to move across it with reverence, consideration and deep respect.

Christ above me
In the air and sky and sunshine all around, the Christ who is above me can also be known. So even the sun, that can be hot and fierce in the middle of the day, is mingled with the radiance of Christ. This phrase of the prayer (‘Christ beneath me, Christ above me’) is also a further reminder that in the many ups and downs of the run (and indeed of life), Christ is there. It’s also a particularly comforting phrase to pray at the bottom of Inchanga or Polly Shorts!

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
On Comrades there are often tranquil sections – perhaps the part through Winston Park or else Harrison Flats – where not too much is happening other than the perseverance of putting one foot in front of the other. But then there are ‘hot’ spots – the Big Five hills, halfway, the finish itself – where there is often high drama. Praying ‘Christ in quiet, Christ in danger’ is not simply a reminder that Christ is present in every varying circumstance, but is also an invitation to actively look for Christ in those situations.

In the dull (and dare I say ‘boring’?) parts of a long run, it’s a great opportunity for some deeper introspection, where the Christ who simply IS can be known. (“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10.) And in the dangerous sections, when the inner demons of self-doubt and debilitating fear and despair rear their heads and taunt our faith, to affirm that Christ is there, is to open ourselves to knowing Christ in a way that otherwise we would never know.

Christ in hearts of all that love me
When I pray this line I always think immediately of my mother. And then of others in my family – my children, my dad, my sisters. And then the special people in my life whom I love and who also love me. All of these, in their own way, are holding me in their hearts. It is one of the greatest sources of strength and comfort to me as I run. And so, to affirm that Christ is in their hearts as they love me, helping them to hold me in love... wow!!! Of course, as I pray this line and am mindful of all of these things, I am holding all of those loved ones in my heart also.

Some people say that to run Comrades you need strong legs and lungs. Many others add to that by saying you need a strong mind too. I agree with all of that. But most important of all is surely having a strong heart! It’s not being overly sentimental to say that the measure of a strong heart lies in its capacity to hold others in love, and to be held by others in love in return.

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger
Make no mistake, the words of encouragement that we runners receive on the road make a massive difference. Generous words spoken in kindness have a transforming quality about them. The bible tells us that it was through God’s spoken word that the world was created. A similar creative power is entrusted to all of us through the faculty of human speech.

One of the amazing things about the Comrades Marathon is that the overwhelming majority of the words that are spoken and heard, in my experience, are life-giving. In my three previous runs I’ve never had anyone say anything nasty or unkind to me. The chatter between runners is always encouraging. The words from bystanders are always affirming. How truly remarkable!

And so when I pray ‘Christ in mouth of friend and stranger’, I can immediately recognize that in the affirming words that I hear from others there is an echo of Christ’s affirmation of me as a cherished and beloved child of God. It is also a challenge to me as to the Christlike quality of my speech, and the words of life that others will hear coming from my lips.

To my fellow Comrades who will be running on Sunday, go well and go with God!

To those who will be somewhere along the route – please wave and say ‘Hi’ as I go by. (I’ll be wearing running shorts and a vest!)

PRAY AS YOU GO

For the long, winding road that you lay before all of us, O God, we thank you. For the opportunities it affords for our faith to be grown, our hearts to be enlarged and our experience of Christ to be deepened, we praise you. For your continued grace and strength to be ours in our times of frailty and need, we beseech you. In the name of Christ. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING

Hebrews 12:1-2a

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”