“Now as I looked at the living creature, I saw a wheel upon earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of a chrysolite; and the four had the same likeness, their construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. The four wheels had rims and they had spokes; and their rims were full of eyes round about.” (Ezekiel 1: 15-17. RSV)
Why call this weekly blog, “Ezekiel’s Wheels” and what is it about? Well I have long been fascinated by images in the Bible, the really strange ones have a particular appeal. It is not my purpose to try and unpack the complicated imagery of Old Testament Prophecy, but rather to take the image of wheels with eyes and use it for my own purpose. Ezekiel’s wheels travel purposefully, they are going somewhere. In the Bible eyes are an image of insightfulness. So, Ezekiel’s Wheels are wheels on the move in an insightful manner at the very least. For me the wheels of my bike enable me to take a journey, sometimes a long journey as was the case when with a few friends I cycled from Lands End to John O’ Groats firstly in 2013 and then again in 2015. As I was considerably older than the rest of the riders on these two tips I found myself on my own bringing up the rear with time to mull over my own inner journey as well as taking in the beauties of the British countryside. So “Ezekiel’s Wheels” the blog is an account of an outer journey undertaken in 2015, with reference to earlier cycle trips and my thoughts on an inner journey which is not yet completed. Both the outer and inner journeys are an adventure. I hope that you enjoy my account of both.
“An unexamined life is not worth living”. (A quotation from Plato’s account in his “Apology”; a recollection of the speech Socrates gave at his trial.)
Ezekiel's Wheels 