Signs and reality...

On my regular sunday ride (wearing the aforementioned shirt) I was returning mud spattered (my front mudguard fell off which didn't help) to Sunday lunch when I saw this sign.

"Go throw yourself into the sea" (it was pointing roughly to Blackpool I think).

I briefly considered it as a piece of advice and rejected it - October is a bad time of year for doing that, and Blackpool is probably a bad place to do it at any time of the year.

A bit of Googling revealed the following:

1. It is a quote from the bible (Jesus actually)
2. It is an art installation from Pippa Hale and Stuart Tarbuck.
3. It has moved (was in Victoria Gardens)
   

I nearly fell of my bike taking the picture (see I suffer for my art too).

Actually though I didn't recognise it as from the Bible, it sparked a train of thought about signs and what they point to.

We often confuse pointers to the truth (does this sign qualify?) with truth. I've been tempted to equate the Christian metanarrative with the Bible - where maybe the Bible is more a sign pointing to it.

I believe that the Christian metanarrative is not a book but a person. Not the Bible (which is what some people call the "word of God" - but The Word - i.e. Jesus (John's Gospel chapter 1). Both God, and God expressed. Suspect him if you will but I find him trustworthy and true.

I wonder if one of my theologian friends will set me right.

Frightening small children (and others)

I can think of little that is as scary as an ageing bloke in a Lycra top.

Just be glad that the photo hides the worst angle.

It's all my beloved sister's fault - Ann very kindly sent me a wonderful cycling shirt - in the style of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". If you look inside the rear carry pouches/pockets they read "the lunatic is on the grass", "the lunatic is in the hall", and perhaps most aptly in my case "the lunatic is in my head".

As I say - wonderful shirt - until of course I am wearing it.... When I first got it I put it on late one night after everyone else had gone to bed so I could see it in the mirror in the hall.

I couldn't stop giggling.....

I wore it for my Sunday ride, happily I got tangled up with a charity bike ride and found myself among loads more middle aged men in colourful Lycra.


One thing I like about the shirt - it is worth 3 times what my bike cost!

(The bike was 15 quid on the supermarket noticeboard)

Bet I enjoyed posting this a lot more than you enjoyed reading it!