What’s Best?

Yesterday’s news included the new indoor skatepark that’s opened at the 15^th-century St Peter Parmentergate Church in Norwich. We saw the enthusiasm and skills of skateboarders and heard their passion, dedication and determination to be successful.

Skateboarders and the local authorities think that is the best use for the building. Faith communities and historians may have other views.

Last week there was the story of the grey seal pup that was found hundreds of metres away from the beach, outside an amusement arcade and kebab shop in Hemsby, Norfolk.

The Marine and Wildlife Rescue was called. The pup was declared healthy, loaded onto a stretcher and carried back to the beach. However entertaining the amusements or tasty the kebabs, Hemsby High Street wasn’t the best place for a seal pup.

I’ve finished Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’. There were pirates, mutiny, adventures on the high seas and bloodthirsty deaths. The treasure was found and the survivors returned to England.

Young Jim Hawkins survived with his share of the treasure but suffered from nightmares about the sea and gold coins. What’s best for him? Never to go treasure-hunting again!

I’m re-reading the Old Testament book of Leviticus with its obscure laws about diet, health, housing, clothing, farming, sex, religion… I’ve often puzzled over what it’s all about.

One conclusion I’ve come to is that it’s about rules for ancient community life – To be the best they could be physically, socially, morally, spiritually…

I remember singing in Sunday school:

Just as I am, young, strong, and free,
To be the best that I can be
For truth, and righteousness and Thee,
Lord of my life, I come.

I’m not as ‘young, strong or free’ as I used to be; some of my friends aren’t either. My hope and prayer is that we search for, and strive to be, the best version of ourselves, forming the best community, we can. To achieve this I still pray ‘Lord of my life I come.’