Langdon Gilkey wrote about his experiences at a prisoner of war camp in China during World War II. His book Shantung Compound: The Story of Men and Women Under Pressure is hardly a flattering portrait of humanity. Not only were the guards cruel, but prisoner pettiness and selfishness disillusioned Langdon. One prisoner stood out from the rest–Eric Liddell (1902-1945). Langdon, who later became a prominent theologian, wrote of this missionary, “He was overflowing with good humor and love for life, with gratitude and charm. It is rare indeed when a person has the good fortune to meet a saint, but he came as close to it as anyone I have known.” He was affectionately known as Uncle Eric to children in the camp. He functioned much like a youth director, leading games and conducting worship.
This wasn’t the primary takeaway when I learned of Eric’s life from the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. The movie highlighted Eric’s accomplishments as an elite sprinter, “the Flying Scotsman,” the press called him. He competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was favored to win the 100 meters but refused to run the qualifying heat on a Sunday. The Sabbath was the Lords’ Day, not a time for fun and games. People were critical of his decision, calling him a traitor. Since the qualifying heat was Sunday afternoon, they asked, “Why can’t he go to church in the morning and race in the afternoon?” Eric held his ground saying of the Sabbath, “Mine lasts all day.” Eric ran the 400-meter race instead on a weekday, not his specialty, which he won in world record time. The movie ends with his Olympic triumph, yet his later accomplishments that Langdon recounts tell a deeper story. His last words to a friend, “surrender,” epitomized the way he lived his life. He lived totally surrendered to God.
We join today in a prayer from Eric’s journal: