"The gun is up. The marathoners lean expectantly at the starting line, waiting for the bang that will propel them on a twenty-six-mile journey of exhilarating exhaustion.

"They are, to a man, thin, almost gaunt. Their miles of training through the years have pared all the fat off their bones. They are sleek and hawk-like, built for gliding through the countryside.

"All are dressed in the usual marathoner's attire--flimsy T-shirt, scanty shorts, lightweight running shoes. They all know that the less weight they carry the better their chance for victory.

"All but one, that is. Perched in the back of the pack at the starting line is one comical figure who looks shockingly out of place. This runner is wearing a heavy topcoat, ear muffs and rain galoshes. In each hand he carries a large suitcase, which judging by the stoop in his shoulders, are loaded with something heavy.

"The gun sounds, and the runners leap off the starting line like greyhounds after a jack rabbit. All but the comical figure in the rear of the pack, who can only trudge down the road. He is so encumbered with clothing and suitcases it is impossible for him to keep pace with the other runners. As the race begins, the spectators don't know who will win. They do know, however, who will lose. Unless the man in the overcoat sheds his burdens, he doesn't stand a chance. For him, it will be a long, long run."

"Lay aside every weight," says the writer of Hebrews, "and sin which clings so closely..." Champions travel light. Kirkegaard once defined purity of heart as "willing one thing." If our minds are on finishing with heads held high, we dare not be distracted by life's various temptations.

Ron Newhouse

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