Running to God

As I write this, sacrament meeting will be starting shortly at the La Crosse Ward. Too ill to be there, I find myself missing it like I always do when my health acts up. This time it is not quite as bad, because of something that happened last night.

One of the things about being a real film buff is the desire to reacquaint oneself with films seen decades earlier, especially ones seen when young. The changes in perception and understanding can be very profound, I have discovered. In fact, one film I loved as a teen, Cool Hand Luke, I now despise greatly. Deciding to be an adult is a conscious decision in our society these days and making that choice changed a lot of things for me.

Back in the early 80s, a movie won best picture and became an unlikely hit. Focused on runners in the 1920s trying to medal for the United Kingdom, Chariots of Fire is most remembered for its amazing theme by Vangelis. I remembered seeing the movie a couple of years after release and having a favorable opinion of it, but that is about it.

Nearly thirty years later, I watched it last night and still cannot shake off the intense emotion it evoked. Since I was raised an atheist, I ignored the story of Liddell, a Presbyterian missionary, and focused on Abraham, the secular Jewish runner fighting prejudice. I was also unaware that the movie was a true story.

So when I started it up the DVD from Netflix in the Blu-ray player, I was wholly unprepared for what I was about to experience. Right off the bat it starts with a Christian funeral for Abraham where his aged friend speaks in a church. From there it flashed back to the famous running scene on the beach with that glorious main theme. It was a well crafted and somewhat interesting movie at that point, I thought. But it was when the movie introduced Liddell that I really began to pay attention.

Eric Liddell was born in China to missionaries and was one himself. A devout Christian and Scot, his story is one about keeping one’s faith while still pursuing a dream – in this case running. Torn by the competing needs, he strives to find a balance, with people pulling him in opposite directions. At one point, he gives a short sermon after a running event that is a superb example of what faith is really about.

I will not go more into the content of the movie, but highly recommend it to people of faith and anyone wanting to understand people of faith. In Liddell, you will find an example of what a true Christian is like. Having worked in the missionary effort out of my church locally, I can say this is a missionary movie.

So here I sit, over twelve hours later and still profoundly moved by the movie. The intensity of emotion is strange having come from a movie that is neither dark nor depressing. The Spirit can move in most unexpected ways and this is the case.  While I cannot go to church today, at least I can say I was spiritually fed this weekend.