Breathing hard in the pouring spring rain during the Nashville Half Marathon, I found myself repeating, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." While I don't recall any particular sins on my mind at that time, the mantra helped keep me focused. Praying while running? Of course! That sentence, the famous Eastern "Jesus Prayer," saved me that day when I was so close to giving up. I was physically burning out and my mind was seriously entertaining doubts. Mental focus while running is one of the great consequences of all the blood-flow up in the brain. I find that running indeed dusts out the cobwebs that sometimes build up as a result of our bustling, everyday lives.
The apostle Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians, "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one will win the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it" (1 Cor 9:24). I am certain that what Paul is referring to is the endurance to live the way of the cross, to win Jesus by creating the space within one's soul for salvation by training and preparation. The Greek word used in the passage for run is trecho, to spend one's strength in performing or attaining something. The "prize," then, is the heavenly reward of Christian virtue and character--taking into account the context of this passage. Regardless, the metaphor works for us still.
Running gave me a new outlook on life, on me, and on others. The post-run sensation of feeling drained and yet replenished narrowly fits the death and resurrection paradigm of Christianity. These two opposing forces only begin to make sense when held together in tension; ultimately we see the replenishment and resurrection consuming the draining death. New life comes from those dead places within our bodies and souls, however painful resurrection may be.
What we must be cautious about is what are we running for. Some I know run as an escape from home, a time away from problems that never seem solvable. Some run to slim down only to engorge themselves with food that simply isn't healthy for the body anyways. Some run to generally release physical stress and feel a sense of replenishment. I run for prayer, though it didn't always use to be that way. Admittedly, I was one of those runners who began running because I did not like my body--it needed slimming, toning, not because I sought to be some model, good Lord no. I wanted to be a better steward of my body and extend my life so that I could serve the Kingdom of God. The prayer and subsequent theology of running came unintentionally, and thank God for that.
The psalmist writes, "I run the way of your commandments / for you enlarge my understanding" (119:32).
TO BE CONTINUED.........
