When I ran the Los Angeles Marathon in 1996, I learned of a unique and rather odd tradition.

Because the race started early in the morning, the weather would be in the low 60s, necessitating use of a sweatshirt or light jacket. But after a few miles, bodies would warm up, as did the weather, and we no longer needed the extra clothing. This happened at the point along the race course that took us through a particularly impoverished area of the city.

And so the tradition was to take off your sweatshirt and toss it to one of the cheering fans who, perhaps, could use the discarded garment.

The idea is that we will be able to run the remaining 20 miles or so much faster without having to hold on to our jackets.

Letting go of the things that keep us from running as swiftly as possible is at the heart of the spiritual life. (We will hear Jesus talk more about this on Sunday).

And it invites us to not only consider those things that impede our progress -  habits and hobbies, rhythms and routines, that serve as obstacles - but to see that this kind of practical re-ordering is absolutely crucial to living the lives we want to live. Jesus says ‘if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off! In other words, let nothing, absolutely nothing, impede the progress of our spiritual growth. The detour’s not worth it - the diversion is more costly than we think, the daydreaming must wait for another time. Following Jesus means embracing a sense of urgency and attention - that the problems around us are pleading for us to do something about them now.

How are we ordering our lives so to do?