During the depths of the lockdown, I was reminded of the much greater restrictions imposed on Anne Frank and her family as they hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam. And for them, tragically, there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

At the very same time, in Japanese-occupied China, Olympic hero Eric Liddell was experiencing similar privations – as well as torture – in a harsh internment camp.

For him, too, there was no light at the end of the tunnel – not in this life anyway. Separated from his wife and three children, the last of whom he never saw, the Scottish sprinter held on tenaciously to his faith in Christ which had taken him to China as a missionary.

Wings of Eagles

The story of the ultimate price he paid for sharing the gospel is told powerfully in the harrowing movie 'Wings of Eagles'¹ starring Joseph Fiennes. Brutal treatment amid poor conditions inevitably led to ill health which no doubt contributed to his death from a brain tumour just as Japan surrendered at the end of World War II.

The film is a sequel to the 1980s blockbuster 'Chariots of Fire' which focused on how Eric’s faith was literally more precious to him than gold. Known as the ‘Flying Scotsman’ (he also played rugby for his country), Eric was favourite to win the 100m race – his preferred distance – at the Paris Olympics in 1924.

But when he discovered the heats were to be held on a Sunday, he withdrew from the event as he had no intention of competing on the Sabbath, which God had commanded to be set aside as a day of rest.

And for him, his Lord (not even the race of his life) always came first. Even in those days, when most people still regarded Sunday as sacred, his decision was hugely controversial and left British Olympic officials fuming.

But he stuck to his guns, decided to run the 400m instead and, against expectations, breasted the tape ahead of his rivals, having apparently been reminded before the race of God’s promise to honour those who honour him (1 Sam 2:30).

However, his gold medal was nothing compared to the riches of Christ he subsequently shared with the people of China, where he followed a noble list of legendary missionary pioneers like Hudson Taylor and England cricketer CT Studd. The fruit of their labours is reflected in the fact that there are a staggering 100 million disciples of Jesus in that vast land today.

(It’s interesting to note that, in our much more secular days, desecration of the Sabbath has come back to haunt us as a restless 24/7 generation wears itself out amidst an exponential rise in mental health problems)

Eric Liddell’s gold medal was nothing compared to the riches of Christ he subsequently shared with the people of China.

Finding New Direction

Watching 'Wings of Eagles', which was a birthday present, just happened to coincide with joining a WhatsApp group of fellow athletes from my university days in South Africa 50 years ago.

Charles Gardner competes (more successfully on this occasion) in the 53-mile London to Brighton race of October 1971, aged 22, assisted here by university friend Peppy Burns (now Anckorn).As I’ve already shared with my old pals, my time on campus changed my life in more ways than one – and that was without graduating in the normal way.

For one thing, it gave me my first taste of journalism after I took on the editorship of the gloriously named club magazine The Athlete’s Foot while also taking part in numerous marathons, cross-country races and the like, learning the art of endurance that was later to serve me well in the spiritual domain.

One of our top runners, Brian Jackson,² later caught up with me in London, enthusiastically sharing his new-found faith in Christ with a somewhat despondent and directionless young man who had just failed a marathon bid in Scotland. I had been literally stopped in my tracks at 22 miles when my legs and lungs gave up the struggle. And I duly invited Jesus into my life, finding true fulfilment, meaning and purpose – and certainly clear direction for the way ahead.

I have never looked back and, though I still run three times a week, my real calling is to follow the likes of Eric Liddell in preaching the gospel and, in doing so, “running with perseverance the race marked out for me” (Heb 12:1).

Justified by Grace

I feel I must add a little necessary criticism of the aforementioned film. In a shocking theological aberration, the screenwriters made out that Liddell believed in ‘the essential goodness’ of all people, which would have made him a humanist. There is no way he would have given up everything this world had to offer if he felt people were inherently good and therefore did not need a Saviour.

The Bible makes it absolutely clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, but then adds the wonderful possibility of being “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:23f).

Such justification before our heavenly Father comes only through receiving Christ as our Saviour (John 1:12).

Notes

1 The title is taken from a Bible passage about God renewing our strength to enable us to rise up as on eagles’ wings, and to run and not be weary (Isaiah 40.31).

2 Brian graduated from Wycliffe Hall in Oxford before serving as a vicar, first in South Africa and then in New Zealand where, in recent years, he sadly died from a degenerative brain disease.