Ready for what?
The countdown to the opening of the Olympic Games is everywhere in most of the media. Even people not interested in all things sporting may have noticed!
This week, at Church, we are running the Children's Holiday Club, with the title, 'On Your Marks!', which is how people used to get ready for old fashioned races.
But 'getting ready' is a major theme of the Bible.
For instance, John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of Jesus, with his preaching and activities in the Judean desert.
In his first letter, St. Peter reminds followers of Jesus that we must always be ready to be bold and confident witnesses, as we heard yesterday. 'And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.' (1 Peter 3.15b-16a)
Having a clear and concise explanation of our Christian faith is likely to require some careful thinking and practice. But the same is true for the athletes and others involved in the Olympic Games. Those who are ready are those who have prepared carefully.
We can be ready, as Peter tells us, if we think and pray about what we might actually say, when someone asks us, 'Why are you a Christian?' What would you say? What would you say about how Jesus has made a difference in your life? And how would you tell the story of his death & resurrection?
I pray that we will all learn to be ready, when such life-transforming moments come along.
Best wishes,
Richard
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