more on the forerunner

There was another interesting fact about Amundsen’s race to the South Pole and it has stayed with me for almost 25 years.

He and his men found their dog teams ran faster and further if they had a forerunner. One of Amundsen’s men would get out in front of the team on cross country skis. The skier set the pace and the dogs responded.

You can imagine why. Ahead of them was a vast plain of ice and snow – though great mountains rose from the horizon, the near-miles may have offered few landmarks or milestones. No doubt, the sled dogs would have pushed ahead despite the landscape. But having a forerunner ahead gave the dogs someone to focus on keeping them on pace and on course.

Hebrews 12 reminds us to do likewise – to run the race marked out for us keeping our eyes fix on Jesus. Sometimes our lives can seem like a trek through a vast, trackless plain with few landmarks. But Jesus has gone ahead to help us stay on course.