Keeping Right

‘Keep left unless overtaking’ doesn’t seem to exist anymore.  It now appears to be ‘keep right for as long as you deem necessary and do whatever speed you think appropriate.

On occasion it has been the left lane that moves freely while the right remains slow.  This shouldn’t happen.  There’s something lacking, somewhere.  Training? General attitude?  Culture?

It’s a quickly forgotten rule post gaining a licence.  From that point self importance takes over and no other drivers on the road at that moment in time matter.  What they have to do is obviously very important.

People need to get over themselves.  You’re no more important than the next person on the road.  So relax, consider others, and most importantly if you want to go slow then keep left.

Worshipping Gold

The worship and idolisation of gold medallions at Olympic games has probably been going on for as long as the Olympic games.

With the lesser than expected gold haul from the Aussie contingent and the resulting calls for funding inquiries our worship has become more apparent in London.  How else would we get the headline “Salvation” after Sally Pearson’s win in the 100metre hurdles?  Salvation is not gained by winning gold.

Australians seems to think that we ought to win gold.  That we deserve them. That we have an entitlement to them.  When the best medal prospects don’t win the question gets asked, “What went wrong?”  It was asked of the men’s hockey team when they lost their semi final to Germany.  The correct answer should have been, ‘nothing, they were just better’.

We are quick to condemn.  It has happened to our national cricket team in recent years.  If they win they are heroes, if they lose they are no good and never will be.

It seems forgotten that other athletes have been working just as hard if not harder for exactly the same goal.  They also deserve reward for their efforts.  There’s nothing so special about us that makes us more deserving of gold.

Frankly, the Olympics have been very enjoyable because of the international spread of medal winners.  One should just watch and enjoy the athleticism instead of living vicariously through our Olympians.

Arm Raising

I used to make fun of arm raising in church.  I even made up names such as the light bulb, the touchdown, the catch, depending on your arm orientation. 

 It just seemed weird to me, as well as confronting to watch.  To a degree it was intimidating.  My thinking was that they had some sort of spiritual connection to God that I wasn’t getting.  Therefore there must be something wrong with me.

On the flipside I thought it may just be a show.  A way to get noticed and have the appearances of connecting with God.

It took a while to let all that go.  If it’s just for show then what should I care?  They’re lying to God, not me.  And there was nothing wrong with me by not wanting to raise my hands.  Although I needn’t be anti arm raising.

Louie Giglio made the point at the recent Hillsong Conference that we raise our arms in celebration.  I lift my arms at the football all the time so I obviously know how to raise my arms.  One ought to raise their hands to a powerful lyric or a poignant moment of preaching.  It’s for the one who died so we can have freedom in Christ. 

It’s worthy of raising arms in celebration!!