Happy New Year and keeping going

This is me aged 17 finishing our school cross-country course. I’m holding my side because of the pain [stitch] that I had to work through on that top road, before the descent down clumpy-grass hills. and through the council-prefab [dog-chasing] estate.

It may seem an odd image to choose - given moving and walking is now somewhat difficult. But it’s an idea and image that has encouraged me. [1] When our twins were small, we kept going caring for them. [2] When I think back to 40 forty years as a Methodist Minister my sense of ‘critical loyalty’ kept me going when others opted out. [3] When the Methodist Church published one of my books the editor chose the title ‘Keeping Faith - Ten Years of Inner-City Ministry’ [1988]. But my title had been ‘Keeping Going!’ [4] For Christians, the words that will come to mind are: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [2 Timothy 4,7 New Testament].” [5] And so to 2021 and all we face, and struggle with, and hope – “take care, keep going.”