Metaphors for Life: The Boston Marathon

Our daughter, fourth of five children, is running the Boston Marathon today for the second time. She had to overcome a number of injuries and challenges to be there today. As I was praying for her this morning it occurred to me that the marathon is a metaphor for life in the Church these days. Many of us keep running the race according to the rules (orthodoxy), while the judges and race administrators play fast and loose and let interlopers join in despite lacking the proper certification and failing to meet the qualifications.

At the same time, those false judges berate the registered runners for their rigidity and lack of mercy toward the cheaters who are unprepared and likely to suffer serious injuries.

Well...life is, indeed, a marathon not a sprint. And no matter what the false judges do we persevere in the race following the rules of the Supreme Judge who will make the final decision and will separate the legitimate runners from those who winked and strutted and made deals with the false judges so they could pretend to be serious runners. We would happily welcome them to the training ranks if they wished, but they are too busy looking for loopholes and shortcuts to listen.

Do your best today, Tara. We're with you in spirit cheering on the sidelines. May your guardian angel run with you!

Marathon of Life...

My son is running in the Boston Marathon today. (Good luck, David!) And the marathon is a great metaphor for the Christian life. St. Paul certainly would have appreciated it. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 7) The marathon of life isn't easy. Just like a long race requires serious training and discipline, so does the marathon of life. And if we hope to reach the goal and reap the reward, we can't be half-hearted in our attempt to succeed. We need to "Run as to win...." (1 Cor. 24) In the race of life that means eliminating sin from our life by the grace of God and replacing it with the practice of virtue. "What I do is discipline my own body and master it." (1 Cor. 27) That means life-long training and fortitude and complete dependence on Christ. When we fall, we rise up with the help of God's grace and begin again. If you haven't been to confession, there's still time. Christ is waiting for you.

Holy Week  is a good time to resolve once again to dedicate our lives to Christ, pick up our cross daily, and follow Him. He is our help and our salvation, our stronghold, our rock, our fortress, our Deliverer. Whom shall we fear?

May this Holy Week find you drawing ever closer to the source of life and salvation, our risen Lord. He is our trainer and leader in the marathon of life. We will never drop out if we cling to Him in all things and follow Him for the guaranteed win. Then we can join with St. Paul saying, "I have finished the race. I have kept the faith."

N.B. Original photo by wallyg at Flickr