Understandably, our attention is focused increasingly on the presidential race and other political contests this fall. Many believers will be discouraged by at least some elements of those races. So, especially in a year when we just held the Summer Olympics, it’s perhaps helpful to be reminded of some races that we ought to find very encouraging—precisely because the racers themselves were so admirable.
But first, let’s step back in time. In 1924, Paris hosted the Summer Olympics, as it did this year. That year, the Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell won gold in the 400 meters. A gold medal is always a significant athletic achievement, but Liddell’s came after he withdrew from the 100 meters because the heats were held on Sunday. Liddell was a devout Presbyterian who believed it would violate the Christian Sabbath to run on the Lord’s Day. Instead of competing in his best event, he ran in a different race and took home the gold. Soon thereafter, Liddell relocated to China, where he had been raised on the mission field and served as a missionary for two decades. He died in a Japanese internment camp in 1945 during the final days of World War II. Survivors of the camp spoke eloquently about Liddell’s heroic actions and Christian witness.
For 100 years, the world has honored Eric Liddell’s Olympic achievements and Christians have celebrated his public witness. He has been the subject of numerous biographies and documentaries. More famously, Liddell’s experiences at the 1924 Paris Olympics were depicted in the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire. Not surprisingly, Liddell’s story has been recounted frequently in recent weeks because of the milestone anniversary of his gold medal and the return of the Olympics to Paris, including a feature in WORLD Magazine.
Click Here To Read More (Originally Published at World Magazine)
