I will confess that I don’t get too excited about the Olympics, but I do love to hear some of the stories that come from the games. So many of them act to inspire and encourage us in life. The Apostle Paul uses the imagery of competition and marathons when he describes how we should be in our faith. In Hebrews 12 he has just finished talking about the heroes of the faith—Abraham and Noah and Isaac and Jacob and even a prostitute named Rahab.
Then he writes in Hebrews 12 that we should let their example inspire us in our life’s race: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith . . . so that you will not grow weary and lost heart.”
Just like the heroes of the faith, there are amazing stories of courage, discipline, and endurance that come from the Olympics which inspire and encourage us in the race marked out for us. One of my favorite Olympic stories comes from the 1964 winter games in Innsbruck, Austria. In the two-man bobsled competition, a British team driven by Tony Nash had just completed its first run, putting them in second place. Then they made a horrible discovery.
They had broken a bolt on the rear axle of their sled, which would put them out of the competition. At the bottom of the hill, the great Italian bobsled driver Eugenio Monti, who was in first place, heard of their plight. Without hesitation, Monti removed the bolt from the rear axle of his own sled and sent it to the top of the hill. The British team put the bolt on their sled and then completed their run down the mountain, winning the gold medal.
Monti’s Italian team had to settle for the bronze.
When asked about his act of sportsmanship, Eugenio Monti deflected any praise saying, “Tony Nash won because he was the best driver.” The story of Monti’s selfless act spread. And because of it he was given the first De Coubertin Medal for sportsmanship. This award is named after the founder of the modern Olympics and is one of the noblest honors that can be bestowed upon an Olympic athlete
A greater story comes from the well known life of Eric Liddell. Born in 1902 to Scottish missionaries, as Eric grew he had two loves in life—sports and Jesus. He loved to share the gospel and he loved to run. He excelled in both. As his fame in athletics grew, he drew large crowds to hear him preach. Some newspapers questioned his commitment to running since he was spending so much time preaching. As the 1924 Olympics neared, it was thought that Eric could be the first Scot ever to win an Olympic medal in track.
His best event was the 100 meter dash, but when the schedule for the Olympic races was published, the first heats for the 100 meter dash was on a Sunday. Eric held a conviction that he was never to race on Sunday and refused to do so. Instead he entered the 200 and 400 meter races, events in which he was not nearly as dominant. The press attacked him mercilessly and called him a traitor to his country. But Eric held to his convictions. On the Sunday of the 100 meter trial, Eric preached in the Scottish Presbyterian church in Paris. A British runner, Harold Abrahams, went on to win the gold in that race. But Eric saw this as just a part of God’s plan. He finished second in the 200 meter dash, but there was still one race to go—the 400 meter dash. He qualified for it but was far from the favorite. On July 11, 1924 Eric Liddell prepared to enter the stadium when the team’s trainer handed him a small, folded piece of paper. It quoted 1 Samuel 2:30 “Those who honor me, I will honor . . .”
If you saw Chariots of Fire, the 1981 Academy Award winner for best picture, you know what happens. Eric Liddell won the 400 meter race, setting a new world record of 47.6 seconds. He was the first Scot to win Olympic gold in track. The next year he returned to China as a missionary and during World War 2 died in a Japanese POW camp. One of his most famous quotes is “When I run I can feel God’s pleasure.”
I believe that when we act selflessly like Eugenio Monti or when we have the courage to act on our deepest convictions like Eric Liddell we can sense God’s pleasure with us. Wouldn’t it be great to always be as clear in our own lives as to what is truly important and worthy of sacrifice?
At our church we are beginning a series on September 7th called “the One Month to Live Challenge.” We will look at what we would do if we knew we only had a month to live. That’s the great clarifying question of the day. What is so important that if you only had a short time to live, you would do it . . . or say it . . . or be it? We’ll be reading a great book by Kerry and Chris Shook by the same name. I hope to see you all in church on September 7th as we begin this revealing series and I hope that God will work in your hearts. I you cannot attend First Church of Christ, I encourage you to go to our our church’s website and listen to the sermons as you read a chapter each day from the book. Please let me know if you would like more information about the series.
Chris Higgins 