MOIRAJO
  • Weekly Devotionals
  • Weekly Message
  • Sermon Podcasts
  • Links
  • Contact

August 30th, 2018

8/30/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture


Listen to: Theme song from "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis, with clips from the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feP54aMCRDo 

We all have our favorite athletes. Michael Phelps (aquatics). Carl Lewis (track and field). Abebe Bikila (Ethiopian gold-medal runner). Emil Zatopek (Czech Runner).  Oscar Pistorious (the "fastest man with no legs," a double amputee sprint runner from South Africa). Kerri Strug (gymnast). Usain Bolt (Jamaican sprinter). Sadaf Rahimi (Afghani female boxer). Jesse Owens (track and field). Teofilo Stevenson (cuban boxer).

Then there is Eric Liddell, whose life inspired the award-winning movie, "Chariots of Fire" (1981).  Liddell, the son of missionaries, won a bronze and gold medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Because of his religious convictions, He refused to race on Sunday, when his best event (100 meter) was scheduled.  Liddell may be known for his outstanding come-back in the 400 meter race, but his life shone with other Olympic qualities.
 
Liddell always shook hands with other competitors prior to races and came alongside competitors who were being shunned because they were different.

As a Christian he found that his greatest strength came from God. It was because of this strength that he returned to the mission field in China.  It was dangerous work.
 
The villages Liddell worked in were caught in between the war between Communists and Nationalists.  Both sides would pillage and destroy villages Liddell served. The Japanese invaded China and in 1940 Liddell sent his wife and children to Canada. He stayed behind in Tientsin to continue his work. Liddell was sent by the Japanese to the Weihsien Internment Camp. He worked tirelessly in the camp, doing just about anything that needed to be done, whether it was bible study, teaching children who were trying to keep up their studies, or organizing sports. In a prisoner exchange bargain, his freedom was arranged by Winston Churchill, but he gave it up and let a pregnant woman leave instead. He died on 21 February 1945, five months before liberation. Liddell's last words were, "It's complete surrender", in reference to how he had given his life to his God.

We probably will never qualify for the Olympics let alone win a local event.  But we can, like Liddell, live our life to win the heavenly prize  --  by letting God's love manifest in all we do. Let us run the race and make the course worth running.

"Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race."  "Chariots of Fire," Eric Liddell 
 



PRAY: “May we run the race God has set before us”
 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Moirajo is a minister, social worker, wife, mother, writer and animal lover. That's just for starters. Join the story, there's so much we can share together! 

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    Bible,  Living life on life's terms, spirituality

    RSS Feed

© Moira Ahearne 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.