I like Doctor Who.  Most of the stories have been great ever since it was relaunched with Christopher Ecclestone as the Doctor.  If I can’t watch it on a Saturday night, I always record it to watch after my son has gone to bed!

There are some parallels with the Christian life.  The Doctor is fighting for good against evil - the dark forces of the Master, the Daleks or other aliens.  There is often a prophetic element to it with signposts through a series pointing to a grand showdown at the end.  But what I like most is the adventure, the stepping into the unknown for the Doctor and his assistant.

Of course Doctor Who is light hearted escapism, and I would hesitate to draw anything too meaningful out of it.  But I do think the adventure of life is an important thing for us to engage with as Christians.  Often our lives can seem drab, and we are tempted to live for other things – holidays, new kitchens and bathrooms, food, TV….but often these are painkillers or diversions.  Are we missing out on the main meat of life, our relationship with God and others, trying to understand what the Lord is saying to us and how he want to use us?

Perhaps the drabness is just our perception – maybe if we could engage more with those around us, there would be an adventure leading others to Christ.  Perhaps we fail to listen to God, and we are left shackled by things of our own making.  What I can’t accept is that the Christian life is dull if lived properly – I just don’t read that in the Bible.  It may be tough or involve suffering, but not dull.  I know my life is not, although I have at times fallen into that trap of thinking that it is.  I think God is leading me increasingly to “Life in its fullness”, but it is easy to stop following His prompting, and revert to seeking comfort.

Irenaeus, a second century bishop said, “The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” That’s where I want to be!