There was one occasion when I was on the A12, heading northwards. The problem was that I was meant to be going towards London! It was very embarrassing, but I had to admit my mistake to my passenger and look for the next opportunity to turn round.

If you drive a car or lorry, or ride a motor bike, you’ll recognise the feeling. Speeding along, you miss the turning. Perhaps you were distracted by the music you were listening to or perhaps you just weren’t sure, decided to drive on and then realised your mistake.

It feels awful, doesn’t it? Driving in the wrong direction. The miles pass so slowly and it’s all too easy to blame someone or something else. The cost of the extra fuel and the waste of valuable time are added to the worry of not knowing when it will be possible to turn off.

And so it’s such a relief when the sign for the exit appears. That last mile passes much more quickly! And turning round and heading back feels so positive. Even though there’s still the extra miles to travel, somehow the situation is better as soon as the return journey begins.

That feeling of relief is just the same as when I turn back to God after heading off in the wrong direction. One meaning of the word ‘repent’ is ‘turn round.’ I change my mind - and, oh, the relief as soon as I am back on the right track!

Embarrassingly for me, the passenger who I took in the wrong direction was none other than the Archbishop of Canterbury!