Dear friends
As the Paris Olympics slip down into the long feed of events below the screen horizon of our consciousness, what will stay with us? The hilarious, kangaroo-hopping breakdance of RayGun? The golden triumphs of the Fox sisters? The controversial tableau of the opening ceremony? What will we still remember and talk about in 12 months time?
Not much probably.
In fact, how long will it be before most of us forget that the Olympics of 2024 were even held in Paris? Tell me quickly—where were the Olympics held in 2004? In 1964? In 1924?
Well, I can tell you where they were in 1924—Paris!—because of an incident that took place at those games that was scandalous at the time, and which was immortalized in the award-winning movie, Chariots of Fire.
Chariots of Fire was a fascinating and enjoyable film—fascinating because of its largely sympathetic portrayal of a Christian man standing on a point of theological principle. Eric Liddell would not run on the Sabbath.
Was he right about the Sabbath?
We’ve been talking a bit about the ‘law’ and the Christian life recently—and that continues in this week’s Olympics-themed episode.
Your brother
Tony
