Seventh-day Adventist® Church

Hundreds, maybe thousands, watched at Wimbledon today to see if Andy Murray could win the men's final. And I went to Saint Albans to see the Olympic Torch Relay today.

Crowds covered the hill, shouting, waving things in the air, hoping the new would depose the old. There was great expectation. It seemed that sometimes he had performed miracles to get to where he was. The sense of triumph excited everyone. Could this be the time a national would reign victorious?

The crowds slowly filled the streets when people heard about the route through the city. It was like a carnival. A good atmosphere. Jostling to find the best place to see the procession. Everyone wanted to see the "chosen one". The one who brought light in a time of national struggle.

The entourage preceded the main party. People were peering and jostling to get a look. Some had waited a long time in their claimed roadside places to see this. Others joined later at the back of the throng, hustling their children forward to get a better view. Maybe this would inspire the youngsters to greater aspirations.

And then the cavalcade moved past. Slowly. Surrounded by those protecting the "chosen one". 

As the crowd dispersed after they had seen what they came to see, memories and anticipation filled the sentences of the viewers. Little did they know they would be disappointed later!

Luke 19:45-46 (MSG)
Going into the Temple he [Jesus] began to throw out everyone who had set up shop, selling everything and anything. He said, "It's written in Scripture,

My house is a house of prayer;
You have turned it into a religious bazaar." 

Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, with crowds of supporting onlookers, amidst the high expectations is recorded in Matthew 17, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12. My experiences today remind me of the accounts of Jesus entering Jerusalem. 

The description above could well have been what happened today: seeing the Olympic Torch, and later seeing Federer beating Murray. But the narrative is my description of Jesus' celebrated entry into Jerusalem in light of my day.

I'm glad I went with my family to see the Olympic Torch Relay. It's a one off. I'll not likely get the chance again. But it won't change my life.

I'm even more glad that I go with my family into the presence of God, via reading the Bible, devotional readings, focussing on faith in our conversations, and joint prayer. It's something I do regularly. It has changed my life.

When we participate in events and later say, "I was there", it's a proud claim. A point of reference. Do we equally claim to others, "I was there, today. There in the presence of God"?

-Pr Nathan Stickland