Supreme Diesel

My bank balance is looking unusually healthy. I had a week’s illness without eating very much, but apart from that, I’ve not been any more frugal. Then last night, I realised why. My car has not run for a fortnight, so I saw fit to drive around the block to aid its battery. I filled her up two weeks ago and the tank is still full. All that diesel I usually buy, with its generous duty and VAT, has not been purchased. Not great news for the exchequer or the petrol companies, but pretty good for the atmosphere and my bank account. Incidentally, it’s also rather good for the motor insurers which continue to collect our premiums whilst enjoying considerably lower risk of pay-out.  

Upon arriving at the pump, the motorist is offered two kinds of fuel. One is more expensive and is routinely ignored by this writer. Unfortunately, on this occasion I’d mistakenly opted for the pricier variety and started nozzling away. Eek! Should I stop now and pour in the cheaper stuff? Would that result in two transactions at the kiosk? Would I be considered a fool by the cashier? Oh, what the heck. I filled her up.

According to the Autoexpress website,

this more expensive super diesel will feature chemicals in its mixture that are designed to shift soot deposits and other oily build-up from within the engine's fuel system.

Upon first reading this, I nodded sagaciously. Yes of course, those pesky soot deposits. And don’t get me started on oily build-ups! They’re the bain of my life. Actually, I’ve not idea what they are nor why they’re best removed, though I imagine the engine is indeed better off without them. Perhaps even now, as my car sits idly on the street by my house, these special chemicals are going about their work, dissolving and removing the undesirables in my engine.

In these days of state-imposed idleness, it’s vital that out inner engines continue to run, that the fuel we imbibe is the best quality available and that the deposits of indolence and spiritual lethargy are not suffered to remain in our system. The chapel’s ability to provide this is much diminished, and we must each scavenge and gather what berries and nuts we can. Online sermons from the Met Tab and previous years of Word Alive teaching sessions have already been highlighted by contributors to this blog.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

2 Peter 1:5-8