By Dawn Moore, Resource Coordinator of Christian History Institute

This August 8, the Olympic Torch will blaze over Beijing, China signifying the beginning of the 2008 summer games. Thousands of athletes from around the globe will convene for two short weeks, all hoping for a place on the winner’s podium. They’ve worked, sacrificed, and given their all for the opportunity to earn one of the most coveted awards known to man — an Olympic Gold Medal. The winners will become national and international heroes for a time. Most will enjoy a short burst of fame, only to be forgotten when the next shining star debuts.

Not so with the 1924 Olympic Gold medalist Eric Liddell of Scotland, whose fame lives on some eighty years later. Though he trained, worked, and sacrificed to be the best runner possible, Eric’s faith in God remained his highest priority. When fame afforded him opportunities to speak in public, Eric spoke of faith and the difference it made for him. When the Olympic committee scheduled his qualifying race on a Sunday, Eric refused to run, jeopardizing his chances at a medal in order to honor promises made to God. And when Eric achieved the Gold in a different race and became an international celebrity with all the associated perks, he willingly gave it all up to follow God’s call to missionary work in China, the very land that will host the Olympics this summer!

Eric is a fantastic faith hero for children today. Many children naturally look up to athletes at the top of their field, only to be disappointed and confused when those heroes make poor choices or hold up questionable values. Eric Liddell offers children a different sort of hero, one marked by strong convictions. Eric teaches us to give our all to God, no matter what our circumstances may be and no matter how high the cost.

Eric’s post-Olympic ministry in China began in 1925 with him teaching science to college students and serving as a Sunday school superintendent. In the late 1930’s China became increasingly unsafe due to internal conflicts and the threat of a Japanese invasion. After arranging for the safety of his wife and daughters, Eric went to the war-torn countryside to minister to hurting and injured people. He traveled to remote villages on bicycle to encourage the Chinese Christians and hold evangelistic meetings. He faced danger in order to rescue those who’d been injured in the war. Everywhere he went, Eric willingly sacrificed in order to help others and bring the Gospel to them. Even after Japanese invaders detained Eric in an Internment Camp, he did all he could to make the time there more bearable for the other detainees. He held Bible studies, athletic contests, and even created a hand written Chemistry textbook so the teenagers would not fall behind in their studies.

This summer take advantage of the unique synergy provided by the Olympics in China and this amazing Olympian’s service to China to introduce your children to Eric Liddell, a faith hero worth emulating. Vision Video has recently released The Eric Liddell Story, as the latest installment in the popular Torchlighters, Heroes of the Faith video series for children ages 8-12. This thirty minute animated video portrays Eric’s faith-filled journey to the Olympics as well as his loving, sacrificial service in war-torn China. These DVDs are value-packed, including 4 lesson plans for classroom or home use, reproducible student pages, and a high-quality documentary on the subject. The producers have even included plans to hold an “Olympics Fair” to be used as an outreach, with Eric Liddell as a “special guest hero.” The DVD can be viewed in either English or Spanish. Torchlighter DVDs can be ordered at a discount from www.visionvideo.com.