Kings of the Bibleනියැදිය

Oh no, Ohno!

I do love a good race. Ok ankle, hamstring, lungs and pride, I stand corrected – I love watching a good race. The epic culmination of preparation and commitment... sick with nerves, adrenalin pumping, heart beating as the starting gun is raised into the air. Enough about me, those athletes are probably feeling it too. On paper a race is so pure and simple. There’s a start, a journey and a finish, all crucial and connected. Ask Apolo Ohno. Great start and a flying fast journey, until he fell. He’d made it to the Olympic final, leading with just metres between himself and gold. He was in the perfect position to win that race, but in a flash he was clipped by a fellow racer and hit the deck. Sliding and spinning, and probably hurting, Ohno crossed the finish line in second place. The gold medal went to the only one who didn’t fall, Steven Bradbury.

Asa had a really great start as king of Judah; eyes and heart firmly fixed on the Lord. Lap after lap, head down, flying fast towards the finish line... building, achieving, restoring, leading. Until he fell. Tripping painfully in the home stretch of the journey when his eyes drifted off the prize. Our race is so pure and simple. Start, journey, finish. We’re all in the journey right now and perhaps the late drift of King Asa and the trip of Apolo Ohno could remind us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, ‘the pioneer [starting gun] and perfector [finish line] of [our] faith’ (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

Written by JUSTIN KENDALL