From Nathan Jordan.
I WRITE with reference to Dr John Stewart-Jones’ Faith article (JEP, 28 August). I have no doubt garnered something of a reputation for rubbishing the well meant albeit flawed platitudes of prominent Jersey Christians.

Please then allow me to assure our friend the Doctor that I fully share his excitement at a number of world records being broken, such as that of Usain Bolt’s personal best at the 100m.

Dr Stewart-Jones kindly reminds us that the Apostle Paul promises us that we are to ‘run the race of life as to win.’ I wonder if his enthusiasm would be at all dampened by the thought of the ancient Olympians who originally dedicated their nude sporting achievements to their own god Zeus, some 800 years before the birth of a certain Palestinian carpenter.

I suspect he would be even more perturbed to know that winners of this forerunner to the modern games were themselves awarded the status of demigod and worshipped in effigy.
The same issue of the JEP contained a double-page spread congratulating children on their GCSE successes and talking of their plans for the future. These plans will be realised through their own diligence and that of their teachers.

No doubt the encouragement of family and friends also played a role. Had any of these children decided to ‘place their trust’ in a dead Nazarene in preference to careful study during their revision period, I doubt very much the staggering 99.4% pass rate would have been achieved.

Such victories are a tribute to the triumph of human will and to those people who played a role in helping bring them about. No portion of this can or should be attributed to any divine power, insofar as I feel it diminishes said accomplishments. To extend Dr Stewart-Jones’ metaphor, a runner has the very tangible support of trainers, family and friends, over the empty promises of the faithful. As such, the race never needs to be run alone.