Eric Liddell

Eric Liddell (http://faithfight.org/2010/02/asahel-3/)

Eric Liddell, devout Christian, Olympic gold-medalist,
and missionary to China is my hero. He lived his life
with conviction, unashamed of his faith in Jesus Christ.
He lived his life with determination, winning an Olympic
gold medal in the 400 meter race. He lived his life as
a servant, spending most of his days teaching in a missionary
school. Even in death, Eric Liddell honored
God, caring for fellow prisoners in a Japanese
internment camp. I admire Eric Liddell because in his
work, in his accomplishments, and throughout his entire
life he honored God.

Eric Liddell attended a Scottish school from the ages
of five to nineteen, where he participated in cricket,
track and field, and rugby. The Scotsman's amazing
speed won him many awards and qualified him for the 1924 Olympics in Paris, France. His main event, the
100-meter race, was scheduled for a Sunday. All through his life, Sunday was a day of rest and a day of
reverence for God, and he decided not to take part in that specific event, because he wanted to honor God
more than he wanted to compete. This act of submission showed that Eric's earthly treasures had
insignificant value to him compared to his faith in Christ. I admire Eric Liddell for standing up for his
beliefs despite the attention and pressure he received from the press. Undaunted by what the media said
about him, he eagerly accepted an alternative offer his coaches gave him: to run in the 400-meter race -
an event planned for Friday and an event he never trained for. Eric placed God first in his life,and God
blessed him, allowing him to not only win the 400-meter race, but to win it in grand style, setting a new
world record.

Eric Liddell inspires me because he served others and loved his neighbor. He did this by living a God-centered
life while speaking to church congregations, competing in sports, and ministering in China. After his victory
in Paris, Eric stunned the sports world when he revealed that he was going to China to teach and to minister
to others about Jesus. Years later, in 1943, the Japanese forced all foreigners in the country to report to an
internment camp. Sadly, Eric died in this camp at the age of forty-three, after serving as a missionary in China
for twenty years. This man of God showed that he could do all things through Christ who gave him strength.
He is remembered for winning a gold medal, but his true fame manifested itself in his love for God throughout
everyday of his short life. Eric Liddell "fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.