Peter Jackson, the men’s retail fashion brand, have those two words as their winter collection branding for 2023.
Now to be fully transparent, my wife was just a little cheeky this morning to me as I called out from one end of the house at around 5:30am,”What’s name of the store where Joshua purchased his wedding suit from?”. To which she called back, “Peter Jackson. Why do you need to know?” To which I explained I was using it in the Bridge today as my lead thought.
I then heard laughter from the other end of the house, followed by “well that makes total sense, because you are such a fashionista… NOT!” Oh the hurt and ridicule I suffer. (In truth she is absolutely correct, as I sit here typing before the sun comes up in my Ugg boots, Hard Yakka work shorts and Lonsdale hoodie… stylish!)
I have walked past our local Peter Jackson store a few times recently as I head off to do the groceries on my way home from work. EVERY time the advertising words jump out at me. Every time I think of the praise and worship song by Hillsong UNITED ‘Relentless’ and the line about Christ, ‘Your love is relentless’; and I smile.
Think of how you use the word relentless.
The rain last night was relentless.
This heatwave has been relentless.
The dogs barking next door have been relentless.
The Parramatta Eels were relentless in their attack… hmmm, maybe that one is a bit of a stretch!
Relentless is a word that speaks of the constant, of persistence, of continual and the non-stop; add the word pursuit and I instantly think of the 1993 movie, ‘The Fugitive’, with Tommy Lee Jones chasing after Harrison Ford across the screen for 2hrs and 10mins.
I also think of two books:
Relentless Pursuit: God’s Love of Outsiders by Ken Gire
“Everyone feels like an outsider sometimes. Acclaimed bestselling author Ken Gire lets readers know that they are not alone. He brings them directly into the action of Scripture, telling the stories of foreigners, lepers, prostitutes, and other outcasts who found acceptance with God. Alongside the Bible stories, he blends contemporary examples and spiritual insights to paint a picture of a God who relentlessly pursues each of us.”
And the other book – a seminal book in my view on God, that I feel all believers should read at least once in their life:
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
“Readers of this enduring Tozer favourite – written during a train journey in the 1940s – will find themselves shaken from complacency, and inspired by God’s awesome nature to follow him with all their strength. As always with Tozer, spiritual depth is expressed with wonderful clarity.”
Peter Jackson says this on their website:
“Our new Winter collection is an invitation for every man to approach life with unwavering determination and resilience regardless of what lies ahead. Drawing inspiration from the rich history and architectural marvels of Toledo, Spain, this season is about embarking on a new journey, pushing boundaries and embracing change, without ever losing sight of your authentic self.”
Let me now appropriate their words and say this, as we close off another week and head into the Sabbath, the weekend, and a pause point.
Why not embark on a new journey today?
Why not let heaven be your guide and discover new views, new experiences, new representations of God. Let it be either a new journey for the first time or a renewed journey in need of refresh: push your faith boundaries and embrace change in your faith experience.
Look beyond habit and find a
Relentless Pursuit of God.
This word of encouragement for Christian educators was written by Dean Bennetts, and distributed in The Bridge newsletter in 2023. Dean is the CEO of Adventist Education in North New South Wales, Australia.
