The Race We Run: How the Olympics Impacted my Faith Race

A few days ago, Jamaica erupted in joyous shrieks as Sherika Jackson took first-place gold medal in the World Athletics Championships 2022, held in Oregon.

She became the fastest woman alive to run the 200-meter dash category, clocking in at under 21.5 seconds.

(See: The Jamaica Gleaner | Jackson Strikes Gold)

(See: NBC Sports | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce)

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

The Lost Gold Medal

In 2020, Sherika Jackson came in third place, clocking in behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Hera, who had placed first, breaking a world record in the 100-meter dash race.

However, in the World Athletics Championships Oregon 22, it seemed as though a change of coach and a new training regimen saw her fail in her races.

Many Jamaicans were let down by her performance, blaming it on her new coach.

The Race We Run

The races reminded me of Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth, urging them to run their Christian race for a heavenly prize.

The Olympic Games started in Ancient Greece, and I wonder if Paul had made reference to this famous event while writing his letter. Paul perhaps wrote his letter during a time when everyone was invested in the Olympics, and probably even more invested in the races.

If there is one thing the Olympics are known for, it is their track and field events. It’s interesting to see how Paul’s message to the Corinthians can still resonate with us today as we run our Christian race. Paul’s letter about the Olympics still relates to us some 2000 years after this letter was written.

Paul probably never foresaw the Olympics taking off on an international stage. He probably didn’t see how it would still be a significant part of world history in 2022, and he definitely didn’t foresee how the races would still captivate us even today. But one thing Paul was sure of—the race run for Christ would be eternal, and his predictions were true.

In his letters, Paul told the Corinthians that everyone who enters a race must undergo strict training. These training regimens are designed so that the participating athletes would attain a crown that wouldn’t last.

I found this particularly funny because of a video of Shelly-Ann commenting on the ‘realness’ of the medal she’d received after placing first.

She was caught on camera saying, “Ah nuh real medal this?” (Jamaican patois for ‘this isn’t a real medal’), and her reaction sparked interest in the authenticity of the prizes received after running a race.

Paul had seen this—he told the Corinthians that earthly prizes were temporary; however, God’s heavenly reward is eternal.

Even Christ spoke about this, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, when He urged us to store our treasures in heaven:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:19-21

In the End…

The saying goes that what is done for Christ will last. Our aim as believers of the Gospel of Truth is to spread Yeshua’s Word in Godly love, remembering that we ought to do it with purpose. Paul teaches:

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

We may not run for an earthly prize, and if we do, we might be disappointed with how unreal the prize is, but what we do for Christ will last generations and generations to come.

Christ tells us that only those who endure to the end will be saved. Thus, we run our race with love, perseverance, and the understanding that our minds should be set on the things above.

Signed,