Thought and Prayer of the Day
by Mother Jennifer
September 5, 2024
“Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of[ the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
Like many others, this summer our family gathered around the television to watch the Olympic games, marvelling over the pure physical strength, agility and precision of the human body dedicated to sport.
We watched the dives, and saw 17-year-old Chinese diver Quan Hongchan dive from 10 feet in the air and not make a splash – earning her perfect 10’s.
We watched 24-year-old Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis pole vault 20.5 feet into the air flawlessly and set a new world record.
We watched the gymnasts dance and hurl themselves into the air with rhythm and grace, and rowers and kayakers soar through the water at incredible speeds.
One thing that has often struck me watching the Olympics is how dedicated one must be from such an early age to reach this elite world event. Many of the athletes had reels that showed them practicing their sport as toddlers, then children, before finally competing at elite levels in their late teens. Often, they’re retiring by their mid and late twenties, when many others in society are just beginning to find their grove and commit themselves to a field.
A repeated mantra of the commentators was about the peak physical condition of these athletes.
But then came the para-Olympics, which began last week. This event is definitively not about being in peak physical shape. It is a celebration of the strength, dedication, and gumption of sport in the face of physical and mental limitations.
At the Paralympics you can compete even if blind, are missing limbs or have intellectual disabilities or brain injuries. The same virtues of grit, hard work and determination are key to these games, but what changes is the definition of “peak-physical conditions”. Watching the Paralympics there is still undeniably a physicality to it, but the grit and determination regardless of one’s circumstances is so much more apparent.
In many cases these are not athletes who have trained in their chosen sports from childhood but who have rather found their sports for a variety of reasons. I’m particularly struck by Matt Stutzman, the Armless Archer who won his second silver metal this games, and Canadian former Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann, who — although he did not place this year – found a way to move from ice to water and take up a new sport that accommodated his body that was paralyzed from the waist down. I also found myself marvelling at blind soccer.
It’s inspiring to see people move beyond perceived limitations and achieve greatness.
Along those lines, in sports, last week Canada also hosted the Canada 55+ Games in Quebec The sports here included traditional sports such as curling, hockey, swimming and tennis alongside pickleball, sandbag baseball and bowling. There were also intellectual games such as competitive bridge, cribbage and my personal favourite, Scrabble. The games open the pathway for high level competition for seniors regardless of age. Historically the oldest medal winner of the games was Florence Storch, a 101-year-old who won a silver in Javelin throwing – and she didn’t pick up the sport until her mid-80s! Age in these games are no limitation.
What does any of this have to do with our faith? Well, In Christ there are no limitations to who is invited to run the race of faith. All are welcome. And all who accept the invitation are asked to strive for their personal best in training to build up one’s inner strength and fortitude to follow the golden rule Jesus taught which is to love God and love our neighbours as ourselves.
We follow the example of Jesus – who in many peoples’ eyes may not have finished his life “perfectly.” His podium was a cross, his crown was one made of thorns. He didn’t receive a medal, but no one would deny he was golden. We may not all be competitive, but we are all invited to run the race that is set out before us in faith.
Come join us on Sunday as we practice our faith in community at our combined 10am Kick Off service with BBQ to follow
Prayer
Lord,
thank you so much for your faithfulness to us.
Help each of us to run with perseverance
the race that you set before us
and to finish that race well with your help.
Help us to keep the faith
and the teaching that you have entrusted to us
and pass it on faithfully to those in the next generation
who can teach others also.
We know you will be with us to the end.
We know that your grace is sufficient.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
~ written by Ralph Wilson
