“Jesus shall reign wher-e’re the sun does his successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.”
One of my all time favorite movies is Chariots of Fire, which tells the story of Eric Liddell, the famous Olympian runner from Scotland and missionary to China. Nicknamed the “Flying Scotsman”, Liddell had a wild-looking way of running with his head back and arms flailing in the air. But, when he ran he felt the “pleasure of God”, because God had made him fast. Eric knew that God had a greater purpose for his life than to be a great Olympic runner, winning the gold in the 400 meter race in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. He had a clear call to serve the Lord in China. Eric was the son of missionaries in China, who faced the Boxer rebellion and dedicated their lives to bringing the Gospel to Mongolia and Northern China. Eric and his brother Rob were raised in a boarding school in London. Eric went on to study at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was a noted rugby player and runner. His national fame as an athlete opened many doors for him to share the Gospel.
Yet, Eric was more than a man of popular fame in athletics or as a Christian celebrity. The movie did an excellent job of highlighting the great challenge he faced when he heard that the qualifying heat and four events in which he was to represent Britain fell upon a Sunday. What the movie did not tell, was this was known well in advance of boarding to ship to France and Eric let it be known he was not going to run on Sunday as he said, “God’s fourth commandment to Moses said to remember the Sabbath Day to keep in holy. If I run in a race that honors me or other men, I am not remembering God’s Sabbath. And if I start ignoring one of God’s commands, I may as well ignore all of them. But I can’t do that because I love God too much.” ( from Heroes of Faith Series)
Quickly the national hero of Britain was derided as a traitor. People on the streets made fun of his faith and cursed his presumption to put Christ before country. One paper declared Eric a “Traitor to Scottish Sporting”. I don’t know if the movie was historically accurate in the scene where Eric was being drilled by the British elites to change his mind, but it was true to his commitment and Presbyterian fortitude. Liddell understood that allegiance to Christ and to God’s authority was above all – later assessments likened him to Rob Roy and William Wallace all rolled up in one. Surely he was a David standing against his Goliath. On the Sunday during the races, Liddell preached at the Scottish Kirk in Paris, honoring God. Eric was able to run later in a race for which he was not prepared nor favored to win. But win he did and set a world record that was unbroken for 35 years. Those “who honor God, He will honor”, was made clear in this man of great principle and spiritual depth.
The most enduring and unsung legacy was his years spent in China as a missionary to a small village. After the invasion of China by the Japanese in the outbreak of WWII, Liddell was confined to a prison camp with other missionaries. He died at the age of 43 from a brain tumor leaving a wife (Florence Mackenzie) and three daughters. Even though he died early in life and in obscurity, he had run his race, the most important race there is, and kept his eyes on the Savior he loved and the God who made him swift and fast.
– 19th Century Missionary Hymn by Mary Gates
“Send Thou, O Lord, to every place swift messengers before Thy face. The heralds of Thy wonderous grace, where Thou Thyself wilt come.
Send men whose eyes have seen the King, men in whose ears His sweet words ring;
Send such Thy lost ones home to bring; send them where Thou wilt come.
To bring good news to souls in sin, the bruised and broken hearts to win;
In every place to bring them in where Thou Thyself wilt come.
Gird each one with the Spirit’s sword, the sword of Thine own deathless Word;
And make them conquerors, conquering, Lord, Where Thou Thy-self wilt come.”
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