Time to Align

As I write 200 Centurion runners are out there participating in the 100 mile race that started 10.00am yesterday and finishes 28 hours later. It’s a trail race and a test of endurance. The runners wear lights on their heads to navigate the dark. It is individual achievement and at a Covid 19 time a sport to suit, socially distanced the lonely runner.

If any of them do happen to look into the night sky they will see the very bright Planet Mars which tonight is 38.568 million miles from Earth and nigh on closest position as it elliptically aligns. The closest Mars was ever to Earth was in 2003 at 33 million miles distant against 2012 when it was 100 million miles away. These distances make the Centurion run a doddle. Yet we can still see runner and planet. That I find beautiful and shows the majestic creation of our Creator God.

Tonight three nations are en route to Mars. The United Arab Emirates and China are sending the orbiters Hope and Tianwen respectively. The Americans again lead however with the explorer Perseverance. The three arrive in Mars in February 2021 and are already transmitting fabulous photographs of the planet. The ingenuity of Man and the desire of Man to push the boundaries is exceptional.

Man can run a hundred miles but he has found a way to travel millions of miles, all journeys of discovery. The organiser of the race told me that many of the runners are ex Military still suffering from PTSD, some are bulimic suffering from eating disorders, some mentally unwell and of course others. The journey of 100 miles helps them get through. Meantime those that Pioneer mutual million mile journeys to seek knowledge of Unknown’s point to man’s forever fascination with the unknown and the pursuit of knowledge.

Alas when the races are completed will we or they be the wiser or will man never satisfy its unquenching thirst for Next ? I think mankind will keep running often running away from the problems we have here and satisfaction will only ever come if they get to meet their Creator in a personal relationship together and find the real meaning of the race called life. It’s time to align with Him, He’s never been closer.