A Bear & Running Shoes

Luke 9:23-27

An older man was hiking in the woods with a young friend when they stumbled upon an angry bear. Both men took off running but it was obvious that the bear was going to overtake them if something didn’t happen soon. The older man stopped, quickly pulled off his boots and began to slip on running shoes.

“You can’t outrun a bear, even in those shoes!” the younger man cried out.

The older man said: “I don’t have to outrun that bear. I only have to outrun you!” 

This says a lot about our world. Selfishness and greed are celebrated, and allegiance and loyalty undermined. In business, “job security” is replaced with “corporate downsizing” and “company loyalty” becomes “upward mobility.”

“I don’t have to outrun the bear. I only have to outrun you!”

That phrase may define our culture, but it does not have to define you and I. We choose to be different. Jesus offers the bread of life so we will never be hungry again. Jesus establishes the example of unselfish, sacrificial love. If we have faith in Christ, we show the same unselfish sacrificial love. The secret is our faith in Christ.

People ask me: Why do I need to go to church? I can be bored anywhere. Why dress up and go there?

My answer? If you are going to be a Christian, you’ve signed on to the most fulfilling adventure of all time and you are going to need all the encouragement and support you can get. That’s what the church should be doing best. Providing the support to carry out your mission.

Here is another possible ending to that story. The older man stops to put on his running shoes and hands another pair to his partner. “Put these on and run with me,” he says. “Together, with God’s help, we can both outrun the bear.”

That is the Spirit of Christ at work: Running Shoes for two. Guided and motivated by the life-giving love of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Challenge: Who is encouraging and supporting you in your faith walk?