I am not a runner like some of my friends and family, but I enjoy sprinting barefoot along the Ossineke and Negwegon State Park’s shorelines.

Every so often, as I run, I am reminded of the scene from the historical sports drama film, “Chariots of Fire,” as athlete Eric Liddel and his teammates train along the water’s edge.

I am certainly not comparing my running ability to those fine athletes, but there is something invigorating about the freedom one feels as you throw your strength into sprinting through the shallows with the wind blowing across your face and the wet sand beneath your feet.

Eric Liddle was known as the Flying Scotsman. His speeds in 100- and 200-meter sprints qualified him to represent Great Britain in the 1924 Olympics in Paris.

A devoted Christian, Eric made his convictions against running on Sunday known in advance, and, when his 100-meter race was scheduled for “the Lord’s Day,” he withdrew, holding to his convictions, despite intense pressure from team management and the press.

A teammate offered Eric his place in the 400-meter race instead, a distance in which he was not expected to do well. Yet Liddell went on to not only win a gold medal but to break the Olympic and world records with a time of 47.6 seconds for the 400-meter race.

Liddle was born in 1902 to Christian missionaries to China. He believed that God had “made him” for China. Though he could have run more races and gained greater fame, upon graduating, he returned as a missionary to China to run a spiritual race.

His words reveal a deep spiritual devotion:

“Christianity is not discipline, though discipline enters into it. Christianity is not morality, but the moral laws will be followed. Christianity is not following a great example, but this will be done. Christianity is not living by laws or rules; it is living by grace.

“True Christianity starts with the new birth. ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3:7). The new birth is God coming into your life and giving you a new nature, a nature of love to God and man. Nothing in life can make up for the lack of this; nothing can take its place.

“Christian living is made possible by the new birth. You never can understand the meaning of Christian living until God comes into your life. Christian living is bound up with Christian faith; personal faith in God.”

When Japanese forces invaded and occupied China during World War II, Liddle was imprisoned in a concentration camp, where he became a strong moral and spiritual leader in those dark circumstances, influencing both prisoners and captors.

Eric ran the final laps of his marathon in a physical prison, separated from his wife and daughters.

In Hebrews 12:1-3, we are challenged to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

In Eric’s words, “Success is not just about winning races; it’s about becoming a better person and making a positive impact on the world.”

One of our Canadian friends told us how his missionary grandparents and father, who was a young boy at the time, were imprisoned in the same camp as Eric. His father told how the camp was full of stress, strife, and bickering, and that, even under those horrific conditions, Eric offered continual encouragement, kindness, and love to all.

The personal testimonies of his impact are many.

Japanese forces separated 13-year-old Margaret Holder from her parents and imprisoned her in the Weihsien Internment Camp in eastern China. There, she encountered a godly man who was affectionately called “Uncle Eric.”

Uncle Eric took the time to teach the children and serve as a referee for their sports games.

Eric died in the prison of a brain tumor at the age of 43, five months before liberation. As news of Eric’s death spread, people from across the world who had been inspired by him mourned the loss.

Eric had run the race set before him with perseverance and with his eyes fixed on his Lord. Whether he was running or serving others, he did it all for the glory of God.

He finished well.

Michelle Smith serves alongside her husband, Gary, as part of the leadership team of New Life Christian Fellowship. She founded Purely Women Ministries with the purpose of helping women of all ages discover their true identity as women of God. She can be reached at michelle@newlifealpena.org.