Torch

All was well Sunday evening.

The night was a bit rough afterwards but Monday morning I woke to a virus that (to put it gently) necessitated a bowl and prevented thought about much else than whether it or a small room was in reach (pun kind of intended).

Well, the subtitle of this blog (which I confess is less pretentious than its main title) is about 'thinking aloud'.  What does a Pastor think about in the moments when the bowl can be temporarily ignored?  Yes, God sometimes.  But in recovering mode I've also been thinking about the Olympic Torch Relay.

The Relay promises endless illustrations for years to come - the marvellous variety of wonderful, often extraordinary but non-famous people who have carried it, the idea of taking a message over the whole of the United Kingdom by passing it on, the bringing together of young and old, sick and supremely well, its battle through wind and storm and so on. 

I think the idea of the relay is great.  I think the people carrying the flame are more than great. I look forward to reading through more of their stories.  It is, though, slightly bemusing when the live camera records the journey between towns and police motorcyclists are speeding down roads stopping traffic, lights flashing, as though royalty is passing through.  Given that the same sun that shines in Greece shines in the whole world the question is, why doesn't each relay fresh start simply light its torch from that same sun?

The practical answer may be that in Britain there is not enough sun to light the torch by . . .

Wouldn't it be interesting if every new convert to Christianity had to have a flame that had been lit in Jerusalem?  Ah, but then I suppose we do . . .