The race began just before dawn, the sun’s beams yet to penetrate the cover of darkness. Shuffling to the start, I took in my surroundings: the runners, race marshals, a TV crew, and the route marked ahead. I appreciated all the effort that went into planning an event of this magnitude. Of course, the spotlight is on the elite athletes, but the entire spectacle would not be possible without the different organisers, support crews and runners involved. The diverse contributions make it happen. Not only were the contributions diverse, but the runners themselves. Looking to my left and right, there were runners of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities, yet we were all running the same 56km race. It made me think of the lesson concerning spiritual gifts, the church and its members. “But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” (1 Corinthians 12:18-21). Even though the elite runners grab the attention, the efforts of the race marshals and clean-up crews are integral to the race. Let us not focus on our differences but live as one body, each contributing according to the skill God gave us. Open Bible – http://bit.ly/1Co12v18-21 (Jeremy G)
