There is No Option

There is no Option/ No Alternative

The London 2012 Olympics are on and what an opening ceremony. We can all agree that the English have a way of doing things with great taste. Between parish visits and parish administration, I have had the opportunity of watching the games.  South Africa has two gold medals as I write this article and England just got her first gold medal from the women rowing. After  all the months of preparation, this is what is comes down too. It is sad to see the first expulsion of the Badminton women caught trying to throw the game. That was a harsh decision, but not easy either to have made. For these athletes being an Olympiad was not an option. It is the pinnacle of their careers. As your parish priest I hope that Jeandre Petersen, our 14 year old swimmer who is number six in KZN will be ready for the next Olympics, for he too does not have an option. Going to the Olympics is the icing on the cake and what a year that it will be, when one of our young people is an Olympiad.  It will be so stupendous! It will be a life changing experience and who knows that he might even secure a University Scholarship to the US. “Jeandre I have plans for you! Work with me, stay focused!  Think Olympics and University Scholarship in the States.” You really have an opportunity - grab it with both hands. The Olympics have inspired me to look at the Parable of Kingdom of heaven (Mtt 13 vs. 44-46):about  finding the buried treasure in the field. The one who found it had no alternative but to sell all that he had to buy this field. It was the same with the disciples after meeting Jesus Christ; they too left mother and fathers and work to follow Jesus for there was no alternative after encountering Jesus Christ. Just as it is for the serious athlete, going to the Olympics is the only Option.  St Barnabas our patron Saint we are told,  was a rich land owner but he too sold those lands for the benefit of the young church. He too discovered that owning these things came to nothing compared to Kingdom of God. There is no alternative, to the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God is: The Only Option. That is why those who have discovered it never look back. Like the example of Francis of Assisi  who left his legacy of wealth to follow Jesus Christ; we too are invited to follow Jesus Christ every day of our lives, for there is no other alternative.

Fr. Barnabas Nqindi