True story: Stealing from an ITU doctor.

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First, the dark side. Tom is an anaesthetic registrar currently working in ITU (you can read his interview here: https://fidzbit.blogspot.com/2020/03/real-people-tom-anaesthetic-registrar.html). Yesterday, after a gruelling 13 hour shift, he discovered that some kind soul had cut through his bike chain and stolen the bike which he uses to get to and from work every day - from right outside the hospital. Trying to give the benefit of the doubt, the best spin I can put on this is that they were rushing home to applaud NHS workers with their neighbours and, without the use of a stolen doctor’s bike, would not have got there in time.

Now, the bright side. This story was shared online and, within a couple of hours, Team Ineos’ cyclist Luke Rowe stepped in and promised to give him a replacement bike. It should arrive in time to get to work on Monday. There is a good chance that the new bike will be much better than the old one. Hats off - or maybe, helmets off? - to him, that is a genuinely kind and generous thing to do. I don’t know if the donor will ever read this but, on behalf of fidzbit and all my readers, all I can say is a big ‘thank you’.

Will you read on for just two more brief paragraphs? There is an illustration here of something which the Bible says is far more important. Sin, in the Bible, is like that bike thief. By disobeying God we rob Him of the glory and honour which belongs to Him. We frequently rob each other of the love which we need as social beings made in God’s image. We also rob ourselves of real life, that is, we lose the fullness of a life lived in relationship with a loving God, for time and eternity.

The ‘good news’ of Christianity is that, like the generous donor, God offers us the gift of a replacement life. Where sin earns death and steals life,

“...the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” 

He doesn’t have to do this but He chooses to because He is loving and generous. He tells us that we are to receive this as a gift without trying to pay Him back. He has promised to do it and asks only that we turn from sin with all its life-destroying power and trust Him to be as good as His Word. What’s more, the life He promises is better than the life you used to have. Jesus said:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”.

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