Don’t go for Gold, Go for Grace

For the last few weeks we have been exploring how the Christian life is like the Olympics through the running race metaphor. There is the initial excitement at the beginning of a race. Then theres the in’s and out’s of what it means to run. Finally we need to keep the goal in mind as we run or as we train; the end affects the now. We’ve found good value in using the running metaphor to help us think about our Christian life as we have explored the New Testament use of running race.

But metaphor works on the basis of a similarity and a difference. When we say she ran like the wind, the similarity is the speed. But the clear dissimilarity is that she is not wind, she has a body, a personality, she is alive. So metaphor works by pointing to what is the same between two things that are different. The Christian life is like a race, but its also not like a race. In a race or in training you are working for something that you don’t yet have. But Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus and speaks about all the blessings that they have already received (Eph 3:1). Similarly, and so dissimilarly to the race metaphor, we are more than conquerors (Rom 8:37); we are victorious even before we run. And even more so that victory is a gift, not something that we train or work for, but given to us (1 Cor 15:57). We didn’t run, but we still won. Yes, let talk about the Christian life like it’s a race. But let’s not forget that the Christian life is more about grace than a race.

Rev Craig McCorkindale
Senior Assistant Minister