Chariots of Fire

Barbara sent me a copy of the movie "Chariots of Fire" for my birthday (I received it a few days ago), and I just watched it this morning. Not only did I get to yell out on multiple occasions "I ran on that beach!" (the beach-running scenes and some of Eric's training scenes were filmed in St. Andrews, Scotland which my family visited when we were on our tour of England and Scotland.), but I also got to see again just how extraordinary Eric Liddell's life and faith were, and how excellent a movie this is. Not only is it quite clear in Eric's Message and life goals, but it also so clearly shows the difference in motivations between Eric and Harold Abrahams (Abrahams considered them to be rivals, but I doubt that Eric ever gave it much thought), and the results of attaining your goals, given those motivations.

Eric ran because when he ran, he could "feel God's pleasure." Harold ran "to win" and to prove himself and his kind to the world. In the end, Eric was happy to continue running for God's pleasure in China, while Harold was left with a huge emptiness after winning because he realized how meaningless a goal that was.

Eric Liddell was an amazing man, and this movie was spectacular. It is one of few movies where I agree with all of the awards and reviews. It truly is exceptional, mostly because it's about an exceptional man and his faith.