A Triune Spectacular.

For me, three is a very special number. It is special because the very essence of the Godhead is triune, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which we refer to as the Holy Trinity, even if the word Trinity does not appear within the entire Bible. Neither for that matter a title The Prodigal Son appears either, but this parable spoken by Jesus and recorded in the 15th chapter of Luke's Gospel, is familiar to many, whether the Bible is read widely or not. Yet, sure enough, in the story of the Prodigal Son, there are three main characters - the father, the elder son, and his younger sibling whose want for a more "swinging" life placed him as the principal character of the story. Also the phrase God the Son does not occur in the Bible either, but is a title easily understood by everyone who accept the Trinity as a fundamental Bible-based doctrine. Like the way he describes Himself as being Eternal. Three pairs of names are here used: The First and Last, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Then not to mention the three characteristics of God: Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent. He even has three names or titles: Yahweh, El Shaddai, and Elohim, the latter being plural in itself, although Adonai (meaning Lord) is sometimes used instead for Yahweh, out of respect by the Jews.

And the Trinity can be seen in Creation. The three inhabitants of all life is on Land, in the Sea, and in the Air, as material itself consist of Solid, Liquid and Gas, as with water - the sustainer of all life - when exposed to different temperatures. Even the water molecule, which is behind the sustenance of all life, consist of one Oxygen atom and two Hydrogen atoms. Time itself consist of the Past, the Present and the Future, as with space as well - Length, Width and Volume, well demonstrated as a length of string, a sheet of paper, and a brick. Or as with a cube or cuboid, you can only see up to three sides at any one time without the need to turn it around or to lift it up.

As for our planet itself consisting of three classes of rock, at least in the Crust, according to the geologist. They are Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic. The first has to do with volcanic action, and even this come in three types: Granite, Andesite, and Basalt. Sedimentary, layered rock deposited by water, is broadly classed as Limestone, Sandstone, and Chalk, with variations between each. Then the Metamorphic rocks, of which there are many types, are formed by Heat, Pressure, and Chemical Processes whilst deep within the Earth.

We as humans are made in the image of God and therefore the crown of all Creation. We are the only living species which consist of Spirit, Soul, and Body. Our way of existence consisting of Thought, Will, and Emotion. Unfortunately, we are sinners, with sin consisting of man's rejection of God's Holiness, man's rejection of God's Leadership, and man's rejection of God's Provisions.

And nothing more than the love of God towards mankind who remains helpless and lost in sin than to send his Son to be crucified, and therefore to face his Death, Burial, and then his Resurrection in order for God to willingly give his free gift of salvation to all believers. And this free gift of salvation is of itself threefold: Acquittal, Imputation, and Eternal Security. Acquittal is the removal of all sin from the believer - past, present and future. Imputation is to have the righteousness of Christ credited to the believer's account. That is, God the Father sees him as he saw his own Son throughout his ministry - totally sinless and fully beloved. Eternal Security arises from the simple fact that the believer is regenerated by imputation and is now an eternal member of God's family. Because of this, he could never ever be lost again.

The believer is saved for all eternity (in his spirit), is being saved (the process of sanctification), and he will be saved in the future (glorification of the body).

Parallel to all this is the sport of Triathlon. And how I was enthralled to watch the Olympic Men's Triathlon at Rio de Janeiro last week. It was won by a member of Team Britain, Yorkshireman Alistair Brownlee who took the gold, while his younger brother Jonathan took the silver. But these two also have a third brother Edward, who shunned the Triathlon as "being for softies" and took to Rugby - the "real he-man's game", instead. Some may gasp at Edward's verdict on such an endurance sport, but I think I know where he was coming from. When I started competing in Triathlons myself in 1986, I also became a subscriber of Triathlete, a monthly American magazine dedicated to the sport, back then with a few pages in the centre to British events and its competitors. The latest edition came through my door bearing a photo of a female cyclist on the front cover. A friend of mine, with no small wit, came to visit me and picked up the magazine.
Ah! The Triathlon is a woman's sport!

I couldn't help blushing slightly as he grinned from ear to ear in mirth, with myself admitting that yes, the sport is popular with females too. But I would have liked to have seen him compete against "the Big Four" Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, Mark Allen, and Scott Molina - all American champions of the day, with Dave Scott being overall winner of the Hawaii Ironman on several occasions of his career which spanned throughout the late eighties, into the nineties. There was even a brand of top-class racing bicycle named after him, with the advertising slogan: If you're not on one you'll be behind one. Indeed, a smart play on the psycho to get people to buy. Oh, by the way, the Ironman Triathlon, originated from Hawaii, but by 1990 such events were held around the world, consisted of 2.4 mile 3.86 km open water swim, 112 mile 180.25 km cycle, and a marathon run of 26.22 miles 42.20 km. The entire course, divided into three disciplines performed one straight after another non-stop totals 140.62 miles 227.8 km. I wish I had dared my friend to give the Ironman Triathlon a go! Soft sport indeed.

Farnham Triathlon (staggered start) 1987

I can't help comparing the Triathlon - consisting of one race of three stages: Swim, Cycle, and Run - yet timed from the start of the Swim to the end of the Run - to the Trinity, the Three-in-One Godhead. Other multi-discipline events has been around for a long time, such as the Heptathlon, a seven-discipline event made up of 100 Metre Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200 Metres, Long Jump, Javelin, and 800 Metres. Or the Decathlon, consisting of 100 Metre Sprint, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, 400 Metres, 110 Metres Hurdles, Discus, Pole Vault, Javelin, and the 1,500 Metres. The Decathlon normally span two days. This make these events "virtually invisible" - that is, by watching someone throw a javelin, jump over a high rail, or run in a 100 metre sprint, the spectator would more likely be unaware that the competitor is in a multi-discipline event unless otherwise told.

Not so with the Triathlon! The Swim, Cycle, and Run makes up one race, with the two transitions adding further challenges to the competitor. In my day, the Triathlon was a new sport, the first event taking place in San Diego on September 25th, 1974, but did not find its way into the UK until the Summer of 1983, at Kirtons Farm near Reading, nine years after the inaugural San Diego event. However, it was a further seventeen years before its inclusion into the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. But even before then, by 1986 I was already competing across the country. I recall the nostalgia of using a second-hand commuting bicycle I bought for a cheap price before upgrading to a lighter-framed racing machine suitable for Triathlon events.

The spirit of camaraderie between participants was strong, as the emphasis was more about finishing rather than who would take home the winner's trophy. A Commemorative medal was awarded to every finisher, and I saw that as a personal achievement just to be in possession of such an item. The overall atmosphere at a typical event was pleasant, somewhere where even a family can turn up to picnic and not feel out of place. Being such a novelty sport, the triathlon attracted participants from all walks of life and a wide age-range. Although most events had a minimum age of eighteen years (if I recall), the average Triathlon, open to the public, also attracted senior citizens - including one elderly gentleman in his seventies, speeding away on a heavy roadster of a bicycle, complete with shopping basket attached to its handlebars! Although very unlikely that he had taken home a trophy, maybe not even a Senior Veteran's trophy, there is little doubt in my mind that he returned home feeling highly exhilarated, having conquered one of his toughest challenges of his life, maybe since the War.

Winchester Triathlon, 1987.

And so I watched both Olympic Triathlons at Rio last week, the men's event on Thursday, and the women's event on Saturday, each from start to past finish. Unlike all the other events, I find the Triathlon electrifying and rather emotional to watch. Could this be because it is the only sport which symbolise the Trinity? Or could I now be enjoying the sport on a vicarious way, having competed in over two dozen Triathlons during my peak of fitness? Or could it be that at school I was lousy at team ball games, and the Triathlon was the answer to my otherwise sporting disability? Maybe all three? Even if over the decades the Triathlon has evolved from a social-based, camaraderie-felt atmosphere of a personal challenge, to an elitist, extremely expensive sport reserved for professionals with a high income. After all, the bicycle used in Triathlons is no longer the second-hand mount purchased for £30-00 at a backstreet cycle shop, but a purpose-built machine worth thousands of pounds, which you would never see locked up at the street or shopping mall, but only at the Triathlon cycle racks.

Triathlon is a great, exciting sport, which I relate as the sporting symbol of the Trinity. This could also be due to the crowds which assembled along the course in Rio, when there were many empty seats at the Stadium and other sporting venues. Like me, they too love real excitement.

Saturday Morning Lacking Sparkle

This weekend, like most weekends, I strolled, quite early, to the Starbucks Coffee Bar which is built into the local superstore just a couple hundred metres from my home. I always go there these days to read the daily paper over a Cappuccino Grande, a habit which began during convalescence from a cardiac procedure last year. I arrive early so to avoid the queues that tend to build up, especially at weekends. This time was no exception. Except that this morning there was a significant queue of people waiting at the counter. And looking to be extra staff members drafted in to cope with the unusually high demand. I was rather gob-smacked. Is everyone as  resilient as I was, getting up at seven in the morning after less than three hours sleep? As I remarked to an assistant serving me and who knew me reasonably well, I was expecting the entire population to be still in bed, sleeping off the small hours of the night.

Because I was one of the majority who spent the best part of the small hours staying fixed to the television to watch the 2016 Opening Ceremony of the Rio Olympics. Or was I one of a minority? Perhaps a small minority? For the entire four-hour duration. And then I crept upstairs feeling less than excited as Alex slept peacefully throughout the night. The entire World's Greatest Show lacked the sparkle which was generated four years previously at the opening of the 2012 London Olympics.

Was the contrast due to the greater distance from home and the time difference as a result? There is a possibility that this was a contributing factor, but to me that was unlikely. The theme for the opening of the Rio Olympics was about climate change and the need for conservation, together with a rather quick run through the history of the indigenous Brazilians living in the rainforest, the invasion of the Europeans, the onset of the slave trade and its liberation, then a greater portion of time given over to the development of modern cities with emphasis given over to sky-high residential and commercial blocks.

All this had reminded me of the Spring Harvest Christian festival I attended either in 1992 or 1993. The theme back then was about caring for the Earth's resources, including litter and waste disposal. I went home with a flavourless taste in my mouth. It was the lousiest festival I had ever attended, and I left the site no more edified than had I attended the most boring of businessman's conferences, where the main topic centred on how much can be saved, in pennies, if we cut back a little on this and a little on that. Ugh!

And that is how I perceived the night's opening of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Pasty. Rather like at such a businessman's conference. We were actually warned before the start of the ceremony being low key. Quite a contrast to the 2012 London Olympics which really made the opening ceremony the greatest show on Earth. The theme then was how the Green and Pleasant Land of William Blake's poem Jerusalem was spoiled by the invasion of those dark satanic mills. Where the "sky-high residential blocks" of the 2016 theme were just an optical illusion on the otherwise level ground, the "dark satanic mills" of the Industrial Revolution were actually tangible industrial chimneys rising from the ground. We were entertained by the exploitation of steel workers by wealthy capitalists dressed in Victorian suits, top hats, and ties. Then the rise of the National Health Service, which featured well in the ceremony, along with the Queen dropping into the stadium from directly above, and good old Rowan Atkinson as the bored Mr. Bean tapping away at that one key of his piano during the theme tune of the movie Chariots of Fire. Indeed, 2012 was the greatest show on Earth.

Dark Satanic Mills, London Olympic Opening Ceremony, 2012

We are told that the Rio ceremony was low key due to financial reasons. This may or may not be entirely true. I would have been far more convinced if the reason given was that the poorer residents of Rio de Janeiro were offended by the presence of "the rich man's show" right in the midst of slum and squalor. The Media carried a story of the procession of the torch being hampered by a group of protesters as it was approaching the stadium. Even the cauldron from which the Olympic flame is at present blazing - is rather small, which necessitated the use of sunbursts consisting of revolving discs surrounding the flame to bring out its emphasis. 

The contrast couldn't be more obvious. This Brazilian city has always been divided by the rich and the poor. While the Olympic Park was under construction, there were protests even leading to violence, and cries that taxpayer's funds should go to projects such as health and the environment, and not to something which is so temporal and transient.

They have a point. The 2004 Athens Olympics held a special status as the games returning home, that is from where the idea of such a Games originated. The opening and closing ceremonies were both superb. But are the Brazilians aware of the Greek Olympic venue ten years after closing? Quite likely. The site lies as an abandoned derelict, fenced off and an eyesore to anyone passing by. Even in our own Olympic Park in Stratford, there has been criticism on the lack of redevelopment and the resulting loss of revenue. But at least we have not let the site fall into dereliction as the Greeks did. The main athletic stadium has been converted into a football venue and has been hired out to a Premier League football club. The Aquatics Centre remains under-used, and the Orbit Tower spiral slide, built next to the stadium was meant to be a major public attraction. Instead it at drawn only a third of the estimated number of visitors, and since it is making such a loss of income, there are calls for its demolition.

Abandoned Aquatics Centre, Athens - outside and inside.

Orbit Tower, Stratford

Will the Rio venue end up like the derelict in Greece? Or more like ours in the East London area of Stratford?  Or will efforts be made for the encouragement of its use by the locals? I suppose all we can do is wait and see. After all, our London venue had a far greater optimistic post-Games view than it does at present.

But I wonder what God is saying about all this?

It can be seen as something ironical that the Olympic venue in Rio lies in full view of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, standing 98 feet, 30 metres, with arms open wide, spanning 92 feet, 28 metres, as he stands on the summit of Mount Corcovado, taking the whole city into his majestic embrace. From what he sees, the appearing of the Olympic Park populated by well trained athletes, many of them from an affluent background, causing resentment among the poorer locals residing in dirt and squalor. A division. Between rich and poor, cleanliness and dirt, luxury and deprivation. If the statue was the living Christ himself, I wonder what would he have thought of it all?

It is apparent that God does not think against the idea of the Games. Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, writes:

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:8.

In encouraging the church in Corinth, Paul uses an illustration from the ancient Greek Olympics:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24.

Then the writer of Hebrews has also added:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1.

So God is not against the Olympics, he is not against sport or physical exercise either. If he is, then I would be committing a serious sin every time I go to the gym. And I go three times a week. And to watch the Olympics would be a gross sin, let alone partaking in the tournament. And what about football, our national sport? I cannot visualise a father and son attending a match on a Saturday afternoon as sinful. Rather, such a trip out would far more likely strengthen family bonds. Furthermore, if I am allowed to boast a little (Paul did - 2 Corinthians 11:17-18) - I will boast of the triathlons I completed in the late 1980's, including open-water events, with both sea and lake swims. Not to mention early Sunday morning cycling burn-ups on open roads free of traffic. Ecstatic! If anything, these have brought me closer to God rather than build a barrier between us. Of the three - swimming, cycling and running: riding the bicycle was my greatest strength which provided the maximum sense of endurance within the sporting trinity. As Paul exhorts: Whatever you do, do for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The statue of Jesus looks down at a divided city. If the statue could talk, he would exhort to compete for the glory of his name. But for all the poor in the city living in depravity and squalor, his arms are wide open to them as well. He will call out to them:

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gently and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-29.

And all who are wise enough will run to him, and take shelter in the Strong Tower, the Rock of their salvation - which has greater value than many gold medals.