LISTEN (text to speech)
Download as PDF …
The award-winning film, Chariots of Fire, 1981, is about Scottish rugby player and sprinter Eric Liddell.
Born in China to missionary parents, he was sent at age 6 to a boarding school in London.
He attended the University of Edinburgh where he became known as the fastest runner in Scotland.
Calls arose for him to compete in the 1924 Olympics in Paris.
The movie depicted his running coach pressing him, with Eric’s brother, Robert, agreeing:
“What we need now is a muscular Christian to make folks sit up and notice.”
Reverend James Liddell, Eric’s missionary father back from China, told him:
“Eric, you can praise the Lord by peeling a spud (potato) if you peel it to perfection. Don’t compromise. Compromise is the language of the devil. Run in God’s name and let the world stand back and wonder.”
His sister, Jennie, tried to get him to give up running to focus on church work, Eric answered,
“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”
When the Olympic schedule was published, Eric was disappointed to see his race, the 100-metre, set on a Sunday.
Being a devout Christian, it was against his principle to work on the Sabbath, so he withdrew from the race.
The British Olympic committee, including the Prince of Wales, tried to convince him otherwise, but he would not.
Fortunately, a teammate, Lindsay, gave Liddell his place in the 400-metre race on a different day.
The movie depicted the scene:
Duke of Sutherland: “A sticky moment, George.”
Lord Birkenhead: “Thank God for Lindsay (the runner who gave up his place). I thought the lad (Liddell) had us beaten.”
Duke of Sutherland: “He did have us beaten, and thank God he did.”
Lord Birkenhead: “I don’t quite follow you.”
Duke of Sutherland: “The ‘lad,’ as you call” “him, is a true man of principles and a true athlete. His speed is a mere extension of his life, its force. We sought to sever his running from himself.”
Liddell spent the following months training for the 400-metre.
On July 11, 1924, the morning of the Olympic 400-metre final, Liddell was handed a small piece of paper with a reference to First Samuel 2:30:
“In the old book it says: ‘He that honors me I will honor.’ Wishing you the best of success always.”
Liddell drew the outside lane, which, due to the curve of the track, deprived him of seeing the other runners.
Instead of pacing himself, as was normal in middle-distance races, he sprinted the entire race.
He came around the final bend to win, breaking not just the Olympic record, but the world record, with a time of 47.6 seconds.
Not long after, Liddell returned to northern China to serve as a missionary from 1925 to 1943.
When the Japanese invaded, he was confined with others to an internment camp, which weakened his health before his death.
Always ministering, a fellow internee, Norman Cliff, wrote in The Courtyard of the Happy Way:
“Liddell was the finest Christian gentleman it has been my pleasure to meet. In all the time in the camp, I never heard him say a bad word about anybody.”
A survivor of the camp, Langdon Gilkey, wrote:
“Liddell was absorbed, weary and interested, pouring all of himself into this effort to capture the imagination of these penned-up youths.
He was overflowing with good humor and love for life, and with enthusiasm and charm.
It is rare indeed that a person has the good fortune to meet a saint, but he came as close to it as anyone I have ever known.”
In 2002, he was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame as Scotland’s most popular sports hero.
In 2022, he was inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame.
Once asked if he regretted his decision to leave his fame to be a missionary, he responded:
“It’s natural for a chap to think over all that sometimes, but I’m glad I’m at the work I’m engaged in now. A fellow’s life counts for far more at this than the other.”
—
Download as PDF …
This post originally appeared at https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/chariots-of-fire-scottish-runner-eric-liddell-in-the-1924-olympics