For almost the entire match, it felt like Chen Meng was all alone. The three-time Olympic champion was up against world number one Sun Yingsha in the women’s singles table tennis final in Paris on Saturday, August 3.
While both paddlers were representing China, the support was clearly tilting in someone’s favour. Whereas Sun was cheered to the rafters during the nail-biting game, Chen was at times booed and subject to abuse online.
One commented on Weibo, “Every time Sun scored, there was thunderous applause, while Chen’s points were met with silence.”
Even after Chen beat Sun 4-2 to retain her Olympic title, one could hardly hear any cheer from the spectators. For a moment, I actually thought something went wrong with my television audio. I could not help but imagine how “alone” Chen would have felt throughout the gold medal match.
Throwback a century ago, another athlete experienced the same at the Paris 1924 Summer Olympics. Eric Henry Liddell, a young Scottish sprinter, fell out of favour with his supporters and nation.
A devout Christian, Liddell had decided to pull out of the qualifying heat for his pet 100 meters event as it coincided with Sunday, a day he observed as Sabbath. That meant forgoing the chance for Olympic glory. In its stead, Liddell opted for the 400 meters race on a weekday.
His decision, born out of his deep-rooted belief in a God who will always be with him, saw almost everyone jeering him. If there was any sportsman who felt so abandoned and alone, it had to be Liddell.
Yet in a race he would eventually win, Liddell’s refusal to run on a Sunday became a powerful testament to the God who never leaves nor forsakes His people. Not only did Liddell outrun his competitors in the 400 meters, he set a world record of 47.6 seconds!
Many would remember Liddell’s famous quote: “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. When I run, I feel his pleasure.” In perhaps the ‘loneliest’ race he had to run, Liddell was not alone – God was with him. Liddell would later return to China as a missionary until his death in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.
Brothers and sisters-in-Christ, you and I may not be competing in the Olympics but we all have our races to run in life. There would be difficult decisions to make, and some may cause us setbacks, oppositions and moments of doubt, be they at home, at the workplace, on the athletic fields, in the schools, in the army camps and even in ministry.
Liddell’s example and the Bible assure us that in the God-honouring decisions we take, even if they may bring about ridicule or rejection, God is with us. When we walk through the darkest and the deepest valley (Psalm 23:4), and wrestle against trials and temptations (Hebrews 13:5), God never forsakes nor leaves us (Deuteronomy 31:8), right till the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
God, our utmost supporter and cheerleader, is always by our side. If you feel alone in your endeavours for the Lord today, take heart. In the midst of life's races, you and I can run with full confidence in God’s presence, just like Eric Liddell. This Olympics, while we celebrate the achievements of our athletes, let us also celebrate the assurance that is ours in Christ Jesus – that with Him, we are not alone.
Ps Chao Rui
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