19487

Well, it is (was) that time of year again: Sun Run Sunday.  With almost 60,000 runners this year, the Vancouver Sun Run is quite the experience.  In the sea...or river..of people winding their way through downtown Vancouver I was "19487".  

What an experience to run with that many people.  By the time I crossed the starting line many of the elite athletes had crossed the finish.  More than a race it is 10K of dodging runners...and walkers (love you walkers but if we could just keep the walking a little more to the right hand side it would be perfect), listening to live music along the route, eating mini bagels, quartered bananas, oranges, and of course getting your name in the paper the next day.  To be honest I don't really care about my name in the paper but a friend of mine who works at the Sun Run said that if & when peoples' names do not appear there are many a phone call from some...not so Sunny Runners.  Cause really why do you do the Sun Run?  This was our post-race lunch question.  Sure you can do it for the exercise, sense of accomplishment, the T-shirt, and even the post race snacks (suggestion: more refined sugars...chocolate and the like) but I think most people do it to say "I did the Sun Run"  or in other words "I belonged to that crew of 60,000..I was one of them...I was 19487 to be exact".

I remember a university professor saying that the #1 human need is the need to belong.  Whether it is a COSTCO membership, a community group, a relationship, or Sun Run participation we want find meaning & identity in belonging.

But where do we...can we...find true belonging.  Belonging that brings true soul-rest.  I want to point to a few words--"belonging words" that Paul writes in his letter to the churches in Galatia.  Talking about life by the Spirit, Paul writes:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those we belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Gal. 5: 22-25)

Perhaps the reading of these words is familiar territory.  While it may be familiar or fresh my hope is that these would be "belonging words".  Words that give life.  Words that bring hope.  Words that bring to mind the truth of what is accomplished by Christ's work and in the Spirit-stepped life.  Yes Christ is our example BUT he is also our substitute...it is His work sets us free and the Spirit that enables us to step forward in this new life.

I feel somewhat love-hate with blogging at this point.  This format, at least for me, seems to let you spill a bunch of thoughts (as though people want to read spilled thoughts?!) and then just sign off hoping that maybe people will somehow appreciate your spilling or that kind readers' comments will tie up loose end.  Somehow I have tried to dot a line between the Sun Run-->raise questions of "belonging"-->and then wrap it up with a quick quote from Paul.  Just feels a bit sloppy.  Feels a bit sloppy.  I hope its not.  My intent isn't "sloppy" but that you would be mindful of the truth of life by the Sprit and that we will only find true belonging as we are found in Christ.  Centering life on anything else will fall short--just won't work.  Jesus lived the life we couldn't live and died the death we should have died. (I think this is a Keller line....not sure but I can't claim it).  In this I find belonging.

Journey on.  Step forward.  Spirit fill and enable you.