Eric Liddell
Olympian Eric Liddell was born in China in 1902 to
Scottish missionaries. At age 6, he and
his older brother returned to England where they were enrolled in a boarding
school in London for the sons of missionaries while his parents returned to the
mission field. They saw their parents
only two or three more times on furloughs during their childhood.
In school and later in university, Eric excelled in
athletics, especially Cricket and Rugby. Eric got a reputation in university as a fast
runner, and the possibility of his achieving Olympic status was spoken of. In his position as a noted athlete, he joined
a group called the Glasgow Students’ Evangelistic Union and spoke frequently in
evangelistic meetings. In University, he
ran the 100-yard and 220-yard races, setting a British record of 9.7 seconds
for the 100-yard dash which stood for 23 years.
He was accepted on the Olympic Team for the 1924. Eric was the favorite for the 100-yard sprint
but had withdrawn much earlier as the schedule had been published months
earlier showing the run was scheduled for Sunday. (This was not a last-second decision as portrayed
in Chariots of Fire). Knowing he would
not participate in the 100-yard race, he trained hard for the 400-yard race. On the day of that event, one of the team members
handed him a folded square of paper. Looking
at it later he read, “In the old book it says: ‘He that honors me I will
honour.’ Wishing you the best of success
always.” Eric said later this note meant
a lot to him because it confirmed to him that others appreciated the stand he
took for his faith.
Eric drew the outside lane, depriving him of the view of the
other runners. He treated the race as a
whole sprint, and it paid off. He was
challenged on the home stretch, but held on for the win. During that race, he broke the world record
with a 47.6 second time – a record which stood for 12 years until broken in the
1936 Berlin Olympics by another Brit.
During that same Olympiad, Eric Liddell also won the bronze
medal in the 200-yard run.
Many people know this part of Eric’s story from the movie
‘Chariots of Fire’. It is perhaps even
more compelling to see Eric’s life after the 1924 Olympics. In 1925, Eric stepped away from athletic glory
to focus on missions work. He joined the
London Missionary Society and went to serve in Northern China, like his
parents. Liddell’s life was based on a
simple calculation, noted in a sermon of his, “Each one comes to the cross-roads
at some period of his life and must make his decision for or against his Master.”
Eric married in 1934 to the daughter of Canadian missionaries. Eric and Florence had three daughters. Eric loved his family, but his first priority seemed to be his missions work. He initially offered himself as an instructor to wealthy children, thinking that if he could win those young people, they would be in a position to affect many others in China with the Gospel. Eric spent great lengths of time separated from his family in the 1930s and early 1940s. He was often robbed, was often hungry and unwashed, and faced regular harassment from local officials.
In 1941, the ever-present threat of Japanese invasion
became too great and Eric sent his wife, pregnant with their third child (whom
he would never see), and other two daughters to safety in Toronto. He said goodbye, kissed his children, and
walked away never once turning around.
His older daughter remembered that the parting was very hard on him.
In 1943, Liddell was placed in a Japanese prison camp
called Weihsien. This camp had roughly
1,800 internees crammed into a space that was 150 yards by 200 yards. Survivors of the camp recall him doing simple
things to minister to his fellow prisoners.
He boiled water for others to cook.
He taught math and science to children, and even organized soccer games
for them. A woman who identified herself
later as the camp prostitute remembered that he built storage shelves for her
when all others had shunned her. He
never requested repayment for his efforts, but excelled in his day-to-day
faithfulness and putting others before himself.
He was universally loved in that camp.
Eric wrote a letter to his wife on the day he died,
February 21st, 1945, letting her know he suffered a nervous breakdown
due to overwork. He didn’t tell her he
had an inoperable brain tumor and was suffering from malnourishment. According to a missionary in the same prison
camp his last words were “It’s complete surrender.”
Eric Liddell seemed to have everything. He had an Olympic gold medal, an offer to
instruct in Cambridge, and seemingly everything the world had to offer. He gave it all up to live a difficult life of
ministry in a difficult place – and when he became a prisoner, he continued that
ministry. He wasn’t a perfect man, but
his commitment and devotion to Christ and His work were beyond dispute.
“We are all missionaries.
Wherever we go we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them
from Christ.”
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