At the equestrian team event of the 2024 Paris Olympics held at the Palace of Versailles Park, Team Great Britain successfully retained their title and won their first gold medal. The whole country rejoiced!
A century ago, at the 1924 Paris Olympics, the men’s 400-meter gold medal was also won by a Briton, catching the world’s attention. The champion Eric Liddell was a Scottish 100-meter sprinter. As a Christian who was committed to worshiping God on Sundays, withdrew from representing Great Britain to compete on a Sunday — despite persuasion by the British king, causing an uproar across the country. Instead, to honor God – the King of kings, Liddell ran in an unfamiliar 400-meter race, where he drew the outermost lane, much to his disadvantage. He did his best on the first 200 meters and trusting the remaining 200 meters to God. To glorify God was his source of energy and joy throughout the race, and in the end, he took the win. The “Chariots of Fire” became an Olympics legend! “Those who honor me I will honor,” 1 Samuel 2:30.
Liddell, born in China to missionary parents, again changed his course of life for God, and went to preach in Northern China! At the age of 23, he went to Tianjin to teach science, engineering and sports, and share his Christian faith with Chinese youth. After getting married, he went to preach in the countryside. Due to the turmoil of the war, his wife and daughters returned to Canada.
When Japan invaded China in 1940, Liddell was imprisoned in a concentration camp in Shandong. He had a humorous nature and often brought joy to others. He organized sports activities, taught reading, led Bible studies, prepared devotional notes; all becoming the blueprint for his future book “The Disciplines of the Christian Life” to help believers grow spiritually. He could have been released through a prisoner exchange and left the camp to see his wife and children, but he voluntarily gave up this precious opportunity to a Chinese pregnant woman.
In 1942, Liddell was suffering from illness and loved to sing the hymn “Calm My Soul”. Nurse Anne who took care of him witnessed that he “completely surrendered” and devoted his life without regrets, which inspired her to embark on the missionary road in China again after World War II.
Likewise, Liddell’s life of running for the Lord and saving souls deeply inspires us. The Lord is also willing to use Manchester Alliance Church in cross-cultural missions in Peru and Greece, local short-term missions in the United Kingdom and the upcoming “Dawn of Hope” evangelistic concert to witness Christ – for us to win a heavenly reward more precious than an Olympic gold medal!
Let us work hard and “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)
Pastor Alan Ip