Sipping my wine, I’m watching the end of the Ultimate Human Race – the Comrades Marathon. It’s the world’s largest ultramarathon, with over 20,000 people attempting to run 90km/56mi. Near the end, the drama is intense. Runners bent over being supported by other runners. Some crawling while fellow runners try and pick them up. The pain, the tears, the selfless camaraderie, and the joy and relief of finishing swirl in a vortex of emotions. But sitting behind a TV is far from the experience itself. One click and the scene is gone, and life continues. I wonder how often we live life like this. Digital supporters of causes. A change to my profile pic. A thumbs up to a photo. A “sorry to hear that” to a WhatsApp message. But this is far from being part of the “race”. Jesus didn’t just look from afar at our suffering human race. “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isaiah 53:4-5). That’s genuine compassion. Real love. It’s the love he calls us to. A call to be a true comrade in life’s race. “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Open Bible – http://bit.ly/1Jo3v18 , http://bit.ly/Isa53v4-5
