United Church of God

Letter From Lewis VanAusdle - June 19, 2020

Letter From Lewis VanAusdle

June 19, 2020

20th June 2020

Our Dear Brethren,

Abel Mutai, a long distance runner from Kenya, had created a lengthy gap between himself and all of the other runners. It was obvious that he had felt relief after he had run underneath the large, black arch that spanned across the track. The race was over. As he began to slow down and enjoy the cheers from the crowd, Mutai heard a shout just behind him. The second place runner was telling him to keep running. What was happening? He was clearly the first one across the line. The race took place in December of 2012 in Spain and many of the runners and onlookers spoke Spanish. Unfortunately Mutai didn't understand the directions coming from his fellow athlete. Just as confusion set in, Mutai felt a hand on his back pushing him forward.

The runner who Mutai had left behind long before, Ivan Fernandez Anaya from Spain, had the chance to overtake his opponent and finish first. This would have been a boost for his career. After all, Mutai was an olympic runner and obviously much faster than him. But instead of running past his opponent through the actual finish line, Anaya decided that second place was good enough. He knew that Mutai was the clear winner. Mutai had mistaken the arch over the track or the actual finish line and had slowed down too soon. Anaya pointed Mutai and, through gentle gestures, urged his fellow sportsman across the real finish line.

There might have been many reasons for Anaya to give up first to help his opponent. Some sources talk about later interviews with the runner where he recounts the details and explains his reasoning. Some accounts say that one of the thoughts that went through his mind in those few seconds before the end of the race was, "What would my mom think of this?" In this one simple thought, this young man remembered that he represented more than himself through his actions. 

There are certain life lessons and bits of advice that I learned from my parents and grandparents that I carry with me nearly every day. When these lessons come to mind and I make a choice based on what I've learned, I wonder what these teachers of mine would think of my choice. I wonder if they would be proud of me in that moment. The majority of the time they won't ever see what it is I have done, but the thought of disappointing them or causing harm to my family reputation greatly saddens me.

In this life we represent more than just our physical families. We have a loving Father and Brother who we represent every day in every word, action, thought, and decision. What would our Father think of the choices we make? Would our Brother be proud of how we represent the family name? While we are in the midst of this long distance race, do our actions make them proud of us and want to call us family?

We have big shoes to fill, but we should be proud that we have the opportunity to follow in these rather large footsteps. We are being equipped and edified. We are being perfected through the process of conversion. This process, this race of endurance, will continue until "we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Jesus, our Brother, lived a life that His Father would be proud of Him for living. Every decision He made, every step He took, every word He spoke was done knowing that He was a representative of God the Father. "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me" (John 5:30).

"What would our Father think of this?" "What would my Brother do in this situation?" These are questions we can ask ourselves before we speak, before we move. Sometimes we have time to think before we act. Other times we must make a split second decision. The more we decide to act according to the will of our Father, the easier it will be to make the right choice even in the moment. As we walk according to the steps of Jesus Christ, the easier it will be to not stumble when we walk even without having to think very much about our actions.

May we all continue moving forward in ways which show we are truly part of the family of our Father and our Brother.

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe