From Charlie Parsons, Port Alfred
Dear Editor
It was good to experience the buzz in Port Elizabeth over the past week-end and “hats off” to the organisers of the Iron Kids event on Saturday (However the time of 1 o’ clock seemed to take its toll of these young matadors….) the atmosphere amongst the spectators was also an encouragement to me to see that “race, political parties etc” had no place in the day and all cheered and encouraged all our young folk on.
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Sunday was followed by the upgrade and main event the Iron Man competition which took off at great pace at the early hours of the morning, supported by thousands of onlookers & supporters, again with no concern over politics or race, etc. People all encouraging all the athletes.
On observing all of these events made me wonder why these men/ women would compete in such a strenuous competition? The conclusion I came to was the following: man competing against another man to measure up how good she or her is and testing the durability of man against himself. This competition unfortunately only affords one winner the prize for all the months of preparation coming to and end with many aches and pains. Then the other observation and reason for competing is to prove to each indivual how he /she can complet against himself.
These men and women need to be congratulated for not only proving to themselves “where they fit in as it were in the rungs of achievement” but also these athletes have brought so many people of different colour together like no political party can achieve. They(the athletes) and the organisors are to be congratulated for their part of bringing the “nation” together. But this Iron Man competition only demonstrates the physical condition of the athlete who has put so much effort in proving to himself and his fellow man his level of completeness.
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There is another fact that does worry me however, and this is that man is not only a physical being but also a spiritual being and I wonder how many of us, including the athletes that competed in Iron Man have “checked” their spiritual worth? How many of these men are leaders and “heads” of their homes (at what cost to the families with husbands , fathers..putting in hours and months of preparation ,…perhaps separation from “family” with all the hours of training?).
How many are spiritual husbands, spiritual fathers, spiritual friends, spiritual sons? For you see no matter how physically fit we may be, without being a spiritual leader as well the physical fitness is of no worth and soes not last.
To measure up to this spiritual level one needs to go to another event; something like Karoo Mighty Men Conference in Middelburg on the 29th April/1st May where Angus Buchan will challenge each one of the men to measure and evaluate themselves and evaluate their own position on the rung of manhood. Should this be achieved , and men can commit themselves to spiritual evaluation, then our families will be more complete — lead by real men, real fathers, real son, real husbands.
South Africa as a country has been truly blessed by God for giving us men like Nelson Mandela (What a man). I shudder to think what would have become of our country had Nelson Mandela not have had a “spirit of forgiveness”. Then God has blessed South Africa with another spiritual leader in Angus Buchan, who has over the past few years brought thousands of men on their knees in repentance of where we stand as fathers, husbands, sons and friends. Last year Computicket(estimated) 600,000/700,000 men got together at the conference on Shalom, Angus Buchan’s farm. Unless you were there you would not believe it: eight Ellis Parks full of men together for one purpose — to make right with God for where we fit in in our families as real men.
Ladies, if you want better husbands; children if you want better fathers; parents if you want better sons; I challenge you to send them to the Middelburg Mighty Men Conference on the 29th April/ 1st May, where Angus Buchan will again be challenging US
If we bow the knee to our King Jesus, what a mighty this could be.There are 120 of us from Ndlambe going to the conference. How about you in the Eastern Province?
The website www.karoommc.co.za is full of information.
I would also once again like to congratulate all who were involved in the Iron Man.
With pride and honour I can claim I am for the Eastern Province.
