1st January 2022

Today’s date (01/01/22) reminds me of an old rhyme about racehorses that I learned when I was growing up: “One-one was a racehorse. Two-two was one too. One-one won one race. And two-two won one too.” Perhaps it might be possible to enroll a few more horses, named four (for) and eight (ate), and create a right royal gallop, and call it the Homophone Handicap.

The Book has a few things to say about races that might be worth reflecting upon at the start of this new year. Thankfully it says that we’re not under pressure to have to win the race. We just have to run like we want to win it, but we don’t actually have to be the first across the line. In fact, we just have to cross the line, and finish the race.

The second thing is found in one of the old books of wisdom, that reminds us that speed is not the key factor. ‘The race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong’; meaning that in the race of life, there are other factors at work, like the providence of God, and His secret and revealed purposes for us. If there is a homophone at play in this new year, it might be whether this day finds our heart ‘whole’, or whether there is a void that needs filling. For that will determine whether we start the year with a ‘groan’, or like those who are mature in the Faith.

DM 1^st January 2022