(This one's for you Linds!)
I wanted to watch a nice inspiring movie today, so I chose Chariots of Fire - always a favourite! It's inspiring because there's so much more to Eric Liddell's story than just his running. Overall, his story reminds us that we can do all things for Christ... 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God;" and Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." That's what Eric Liddell did... he took something like running, and he did it for God's glory! And look at the impact he made on people all around the world because of it. He wasn't just 'the man who wouldn't run on Sunday.' He was more than that, in his everyday life. Though he's most remembered for refusing to race in the 1924 Paris Olympics because his event was on a Sunday (though he did race the 400 metre race and won, breaking a world record with a time of 47.6 seconds)...he achieved so much during his life. He was a missionary in China, for example, and changed countless lives through his work there. And that's not to say that you have to be a missionary in order to change lives and lead people to Christ. Liddell even said, "We are all missionaries. Wherever we go we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ." It's with that in mind that he lived his daily life. And it's because of that example that he's such an inspiration.
As for his running--like I said--it's just another reminder that whatever we do, we can do it for God's glory. Look at all of the athletes out there today... they are not only athletes, but also missionaries in their own way. Like the golfer Bubba Watson, who won the 2012 Masters Tournament, and used that opportunity to unapologetically share his faith with millions of viewers. Or a number of football players who make it known that they play and do their best for God's glory (Colt McCoy said, "I want to be the best I can before God"). There are skateboarders like Brian Sumner who use opportunities skating to share the the Good News with crowds of teens who are around to watch him skate. There's Bethany Hamilton, the surfer, who has shared her faith with countless people and being an example to them. All of these people remind us that in God's family, you're not "just" a title... you're not just an athlete, or just a teacher, or just a musician, or just a student... because we can take whatever it is we do, and use it for God's glory.
Like Liddell, something as simple as running can be used to glorify God. I love the quote in Chariots of Fire, when he says, "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure." Well, God made us all a certain way, and when we do what He made us for, we can also feel His pleasure. :)
p.s. Totally off note here, but I have to say something about how much I love watching Liddell run! Well, I've not seen him personally, but the actor who portrays him studied his "technique" and had it down pat, according to people who knew him. As Wikipedia describes it: "Liddell's unorthodox running style...with his head back and his mouth wide open." haha It's true, and it's great! There's the well-known story that goes like this:
At an athletics championship in Glasgow, a visitor watching the 440 yard final in which Liddell was a long way behind the leaders at the start of the last lap (of a 220 yard track) remarked to a Glasgow native that Liddell would be hard put to win the race. The Glaswegian merely replied, "His head's no' back yet." Liddell then threw his head back and with mouth wide open caught and passed his opponents to win the race.
That was his style. He'd be running and running, and suddenly he'd throw his head back and his mouth would be wide open, arms flailing around, and he'd go even faster! Gotta love it. :)
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