Sabbath Thought - Finishing the Race

The 1968 Summer Olympics were held in Mexico City.  This was the first Olympiad held in a Spanish speaking country, the only one held (so far) in Latin America and the first to broadcast the closing ceremonies in color.  The high altitude of the city caused many athletes to struggle in their efforts, and while there were many memorable moments during this Olympic event.  One very notable athlete was marathon runner John Stephen Ahkwari of Tanzania - a runner you have probably never heard of.  John Stephen finished last in the marathon event at 3:25:27 - about an hour after the first runner crossed the finish line with a time of 2:20:26.  During the race at about the eighteen mile-marker, tired from the run and altitude, John Stephen fell, seriously cutting his knee and leg.  Rather than quit, he allowed his knee and leg to be bandaged - and then he painfully resumed the race.  He would run for a short distance, and then walk when the pain was too much, and then run again - repeating this cycle over and over.  The marathon event was late in the day and the runners all finished before dark - except John Stephen. 

When he finally arrived through the dark at the stadium the few spectators there were getting seated for the next event.  They couldn't help but notice John Stephen as he limped-ran his final laps of the race in the stadium - and they began to applaud him as they realized that even though he was the last runner he was determined to finish the race.  He was the last of 57 runners in that marathon event in the 1968 Olympics, but he finished the race set before him.  There were 74 who started but never finished.  After John Stephen finished running and received medical care, he was asked in an interview, "Why did you keep going?"  His simple response was, "You don't understand.  My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race, they sent me to finish it." 

The Apostle Paul was very familiar with the Olympics that were held in his day and time - and he saw many spiritual lessons in these sporting events as well (Hebrews 12:1, Philippians 3:14).  Paul is reminding us that while we can experience hindrances from others, only we can make the final decision as to whether we give up or continue (Galatians 5:7).  How many people started this race when you did, who are no longer a part of this race?

The thing about this spiritual race we are in, is that the only one who can determine if we lose is us (Revelation 3:11)!  In a race like a marathon it is easy to think about stopping, about quitting.  The strongest voice a runner has to fight is the voice in his head.  We must remember that God has called us to this race to finish it.  We also need to remember that we cannot allow a bad example from someone else to discourage us spiritually - we cannot allow ourselves (or even someone else) to take away our crown.

Any Olympic race is but a temporary achievement.  We can draw great lessons from those achievements at times, but it is more important to remember the imperishable crown we are racing for (1 Corinthians 9:24).  The race before us is not an easy one.  It is however, a race that each one of us can finish if we put forth enough effort and don't give up (James 1:12).  Our race is about staying the course, yielding to God, growing in His character and crossing the finish line no matter what happens before that. 

In any sporting event, there is no reward for only going part of the distance - John Stephen Ahkwari understood that.  The finish is all the more rewarding knowing that you made the distance.  Do we want to finish the race and be in God's Kingdom - in His family for eternity?  I want to see those faithful who died in Christ and work alongside them.

Let us be like the true faithful down through time, so that we too can say, "I have finished the race, I have kept the faith," (2 Timothy 4:7).

I wish you a profitable and value filled Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

21 January, 2023