Monday, July 23, 2012

Eric Liddell and the Glory of God

Ok so hopefully everyone has seen "Chariots of Fire"  if you haven't, you obviously didn't grow up in my house.  Briefly, the movie is about Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell who, in 1924, won the gold medal in the 400m at the Paris Olympics.  He won the 400m after being disqualified from the 100m, his best event, because he refused to run a qualifying heat on a Sunday.  Liddell did this because he stated that he ran for the Glory of God but Sunday was a Sabbath day to give praise to God.

I know that this is an odd way to start a blog post but as I have been out here in Afghanistan I've started to run again (usually around 0530 when the sun is coming up, see picture below).  As I run and see the sun coming up over the horizon of the desert, all I can think about is the beauty and majesty of God.  I see His glory and feel His glory as I slowly plod along.  Here where, until the British / U.S. established the base I'm at, there was no life.  The realization of LIFE comes flooding in every morning and I am reminded of all the times in my life that God shows Himself to be real and alive (when I see my beautiful baby girl, or on a ship in the middle of the ocean, or being blessed with the opportunity to preach His word, or lastly...loving a woman who says "I hate you being gone but it's worth it for the Gospel", and on and on....).
All that just to say, always be on the look out for God proclaiming His majesty and His glory in the world around you and in your life.  Because to the degree that you fail to see those things you miss their true intended meaning.  What is a sunrise worth unless it propels us on towards praising the God that placed the Sun in the sky.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this wonderful reminder. I've been so caught up in Mackenzie being sick this week and being selfish about how unfair it is. I needed this gentle reminder that it's a chance to proclaim his glory and turning towards him in our time of need.

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  2. Sir,
    Thank you for the reminder and the motivation. I am a Chaplain Candidate looking forward to serving after I graduate. My fiancé and I truly enjoy the you and your wife's posts, thank you for giving us a glimpse into life as a Chaplain family.
    Very Respectfully,
    ENS. Brundage

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