The reading from 1 Corinthians that we heard in church on Sunday can be – and perhaps often is – interpreted as referring to particular forms of self-abuse. But I prefer to think more widely about what might be meant by immoral misuse of the body. As St Paul writes, the body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit” and we should “glorify God” in our bodies. Most of my life I have been interested in “spiritual” things such as meditation, thinking, reading, writing and not much interested at all in diet, fitness, or exercise, not even for its own sake, never mind for God’s. For nearly three decades I worked for a company that had a free onsite gym and managed never to visit it once. All this changed when a poor diet and somewhat sedentary lifestyle helped tip me over the edge into a critical illness, just before the pandemic. Coming out of that, after nearly a month in hospital with plenty of time and incentive to reflect on where this arguably “immoral” use of my body had taken me (gluttony is after all one of the seven deadlies and Pope Francis took it as his theme at his Wednesday audience last week) I took on Cafod’s Walk Against Hunger. It seemed a suitable penance and useful at the same time.
Cafod has just launched its 2024 The Big Lent Walk, where fundraisers attempt 200k in 40 days to help fight global poverty. On my first Cafod walk, I was prevailed upon to sign up to Strava, a popular activity app on which walkers, runners, cyclists and more can document steps, give “kudos” and get motivated by seeing what others are doing. This got me off the sofa and away from a desk and computer. I started to meet new friends in real life, not just online and was persuaded to try parkrun, in which I have now passed the 50 landmark for runs and 25 landmark for volunteering. Parkrun led to a running club, Ranelagh Harriers, to try to improve times. That in turn led to cycling and swimming as well as running and then – well why not – trying to qualify to represent Great Britain. Anyway, to everyone’s astonishment and most especially my own, I am now qualified to represent Britain in the age-group team at the World and European Triathlon Championships in Malaga, Spain and Vichy, France this autumn. As a recognised “national sportsperson” I’ve been given free access by my local authority to gyms and swimming pools where I live to facilitate training. And last night I attended a free online “clean sport” workshop to learn how not to dope, because older age-groupers are tested at international competitions, just like young Olympians, and because cheating is just wrong. It was fascinating, learning about the traps and temptations that are out there, how easy it could be through careless intake of certain supplements to fail a test. Many older athletes have health issues for which they are prescribed remedies and we have to be scrupulously aware of what is and is not licit and when exceptions can be made. So, as a naturally impulsive person who tends too easily to act first and think later, learning how to swim, bike and run that line between moral use and immoral abuse of the body has taken me full circle. An attitude of meditative “mindfulness” turns out to be just as effective when deployed during a sprint up Dark Hill in Richmond Park, or doing deadlifts at the gym at Richmond Rugby Club, as it is when trying to fathom the mysteries of our faith at Sunday Mass.
Cafod has just launched its 2024 The Big Lent Walk, where fundraisers attempt 200k in 40 days to help fight global poverty.