Piloting Faith - A Daily Meditation

A Word for the Day...

Roger Bannister was an Olympic athlete back in the day when track and field experts were declaring that no runner could break the four-minute-mile barrier. Ostensibly, scientists told us that human beings just can’t run that fast, for that length of time. “Experts” conducted all sorts of studies to prove beyond a doubt that it was impossible to break the four-minute barrier.

But then young Roger came along who wasn’t so sure about that. Instead of believing that it was impossible, he began testing himself. He figured out new training techniques deemed at the time to be crazy. He worked at it, and he believed in his own possibility.

Finally, race day came. The gun sounded. Roger started out staying just behind the pack. Then, in the last leg of the race, he shot forward, blowing past all of the other runners, crossing the finish line…and breaking the unbreakable barrier.

But the really amazing part is this: within 10 years of Roger breaking that barrier, 336 other runners did it as well. For hundreds of years, no one broke that barrier. Then all of the sudden, 336 people from all over the world were able to do it. What happened? They believed that they could, and they took the steps to make it so.

What barriers might you break? Maybe it isn’t the 4 minute mile…maybe it is the something even bigger.

― Rev. Cameron Trimble, CEO of the Center for Progressive Renewal

Your leadership matters. You and your church are making a difference in shaping our world into a more just and generous place. Keep it up!
We are all in this together.