I have never really stopped to wonder whether the Olympic committee and organisers in Paris at the time may have picked that Sunday with the knowledge that Liddell did not train on that day of the week… He met this challenge to his faith and to his principles by living them out anyway, and by adapting to the circumstances, and going on to win in a distance he had not set out to compete in. It brings the phrase “going the extra distance” to another level of meaning; arguably a transcendent one… Thank you for sharing this documentary which you put together on an inspiring story about a remarkable man. Best wishes from a long-distance runner in Montreal, Canada.
I do believe that Mr Liddell has been granted a place in paradise Speaking as a practicing Muslim we all share the same moral values I do believe God has accepted his good deeds on earth God bless his soul
I think you misunderstand his words. He was making an analogy of life to running in a race, similar to what the Apostle Paul was doing in the scripture to which you refer.
Shamefully I knew nothing about Eric until the film Chariots of fire back in 1982, I so wish I'd known more about this absolute Gentleman & most excellent human being. We Scots love our heroes & legends, Eric is just that & much more. As a Scot I hold the flying Scotsman on a pedestal, he is loved by his family & all who knew him. May the Lord shine his light of love on Eric & all of his loved ones always. He makes my heart swell with pride & love. ♥💙🏴
Hello. I want to know about the educational help and support given to the autistic kids in schools of Ireland. Please help me how to get the detailed information. I am an autism mom living in Spain and planning to move to Ireland.
So few now stand up for anything of worth nowadays......oh yeah, they'll 'kneel' for BLM and other such nonsense just so as to 'virtue signal'...but nothing really worthy or honourable Now you're vilified and called a 'nazi' if you stand for Christianity, traditional marriage, etc etc.....go figure
As far as I know the tracks were made of a type of sand back at that time which makes his time even more incredible but I believe if you have enough belief anything is possible.
When I was in junior high and even high school in Ohio, all the tracks were compacted cinder. Very hard material. My senior year I went to Gainesville, Florida during our schools Spring Break to train for the upcoming track season. It was the first time I had ever experienced an "all weather" track. That was 1977.
47.3 seconds in the 400 meter? Fastest I ran it was 1:05. Isn't Sunday the first day of the week on any calendar? And Saturday--the 7th day of the week--the real actual Sabbath? Fascinating.
I haven't read the book "For the Glory" that Bob Page mentioned, but I have read "Eric Liddell / Pure Gold" by David McCasland (copyright 2001). The book is subdivided into 3 parts, with the first part focused on Liddell's years from 1902-1924. The second part is from 1925-1942; the third 1943-1945. The book is focused on his life as a Christian. Lots of research was done for the book, and accordingly it contains a lot of information.
I've read "For the Glory", "Pure Gold", "The Flying Scotsman," and "The Final Race." Out of the four of them, my favorites were "For the Glory" and "The Flying Scotsman", but I do like "Pure Gold." I felt that "Pure Gold" was lacking in details concerning the months leading up to Eric's death in the Weihsien internment camp, whereas "For the Glory" and "The Flying Scotsman" give us more vivid details of that period, including his vomiting, seizures, problems with balance and coordination, severe depression, etc. This may be because Sally Magnusson, unlike the other biographers, actually had an opportunity to interview Annie Buchan before she died, and whereas "Pure Gold" rarely mentions Annie Buchan, Duncan Hamilton included information from Annie Buchan's papers in "For the Glory." I also felt that "For the Glory" and "The Flying Scotsman" give the most thorough accounts of Eric's time serving as a missionary in Siaochang during Japanese occupation, which is my favorite period of his life to read about. "For the Glory" does the best job of detailing Eric's motivation and conviction for making the decision to go there. I felt that "Pure Gold" was a little lacking on that period of Eric's life. I further appreciated how "For the Glory" gave the most thorough account of Eric's time in Tianjin when he was under house arrest for 14 months prior to being interned in Weihsien. How cool is it that Eric took it upon himself to finish memorizing the entire Bible during that period in addition to the rigors of finishing his manual on Discipleship? And it warmed my heart to learn what Eric had been planning for the next chapter of his life had he survived: to reunite with Florence and the kids in Canada and serve the First Nation/indigenous population over there. "For the Glory" , "The Flying Scotsman" , and "Pure Gold" each give well rounded pictures of Eric's personality, and I learned new stories about Eric from each of them. For example, "For the Glory" mentions how young Eric used to volunteer weekly helping the poor and needy in high school and college. That wasn't mentioned in the other biographies, but it shows Eric's character from a young age. "For the Glory" also mentions little things that show Eric's character -- like how on a cold day before his race, he gave his sweater to one of his competitors, who was shivering with no jacket (and still beat him, of course, lol) or how he was warm and friendly with an Indian competitor who was being ignored and ostracized by the other British athletes. I even enjoyed learning little things like how Eric celebrated his Olympic victory by going dancing with friends that evening, and he drank apple juice while everyone else drank alcohol. In "The Flying Scotsman" we learn more about Eric's great sense of humor, his quirky love for colorful floral shirts, and his practical jokes. I learned from "The Flying Scotsman" that Eric was in favor of the British government gradually giving the Concessions back to the Chinese citizens -- and as an anti-imperialist, I was happy to learn that Eric saw the importance of giving back the Concessions. I also learned from "The Flying Scotsman" that Eric taught the mission staff in Siaochang to treat all those who were wounded and sick, including the Japanese. He said, "There is neither Japanese, nor Chinese, nor soldier, nor civilian: they are all men Christ died for." Learning that moved me to tears. "Pure Gold" also had a few of these lovely tidbits that show Eric's humanity and personality: 1. Showing up to preach at Union Church wearing his beloved shorts! I get a giggle every time I picture it. 2. Eric's two week "experimental international camp" where he blessed 60 boys of differing nationalities/ethnicities/religions (Chinese, Japanese, Russian, British, American, Canadian, Jewish, Christian, non-religious) -- by pairing them up in teams and teaching them sportsmanship and brotherhood (and consequently, how to overcome their differences). 2. The description of Eric's wedding! I love so much how he and Florence invited all their Chinese friends to the Union Church, not caring one bit how many snooty British heads turned. Sorry, that got a little long! I believe it's important for a biography to show not just Eric's Christian beliefs and convictions, but also to detail his personality, his good works, and his actions. Some Eric Liddell biographies, I think, focus only on his faith while not including enough stories of his humanity or how he put his faith into action. Eric was a strong believer that faith without works is dead, and he was a fun-loving person who was not judgmental, dogmatic, legalistic, or "goody goody." He truly put the "Beatitudes" and 1 Corinthians 13 into practice more than any modern historical figure I have ever studied, and that is truly inspirational.
I recommend the Eric Liddell biography, "For the Glory" by Duncan Hamilton, published in 2016. It gives a much fuller picture of the man than the focus on his olympic achievement.
+Virendra Prasad Thanks Virendra, Yes, I must admit to being quite emotional myself, the first time I watched it, especially as the narration is that of my own mother's.
