Every week religious leaders share their thoughts with Swindon Advertiser readers. Today's guest columnist is the right Rev Rayfield, the Bishop of Swindon

you may have missed the fact that the world record for the 100m was broken again this month.

Justin Gatlin ran 9.766 for the distance to become not just the fastest man on the planet but the fastest man in history.

However, it had nothing like the impact that Roger Bannister had when he set a new world record for the mile 52 years ago in Oxford.

In running the distance under four minutes Sir Roger broke through a barrier which had once seemed a physical impossibility for humans.

Athlete after athlete had previously failed. Yet once it had been breached the time for the distance rapidly went down.

It appeared that the limit was as much psychological as physiological.

So what has this to do with faith? Yesterday the Christian Church celebrated the Ascension of Jesus Christ the occasion 40 days after Easter when the Lord left the disciples on earth and entered heaven.

Through his obedience and persistence even in the face of suffering Jesus shattered the barriers that keep us from God and opened the route for others to follow.

Roger Bannister's achievement showed what is possible for a few highly trained people to aspire to.

What Jesus achieved is not just for the elite but for everyone.

When did you last sense that heaven had broken into your routine and transformed what is possible? The way lies open and God invites you to step into it.