Encouragement and Sacrifice

 

Yes. That was me crying as I watched the end of the Men’s Olympic Marathon.

 

True. I was happy for the defending gold medalist, Eliud Kichoge of Team Kenya. But I was crying because of an exchange between the two men who ended up claiming the silver and bronze medals.

 

Abdi Nageeye of Team Netherlands and Bashir Abdi of Team Belgium had run with the front pack for the entirety of the race. Toward the end of the race, the pack had dwindled to three, with the winner pulling away into a race of his own, and all other runners falling behind. The third runner in the pack, Lawrence Cherono of Team Kenya, led the pack until the finish line was in sight.

 

At that time, Nageeye made his move. Instead of doing it alone, though, Nageeye turned to his friend Abdi and motioned for Abdi to come with him. He encouraged Abdi to give it his all, and together, exhausted but working in tandem, they overtook Cherono and won the silver and bronze medals.

 

At the end of the race, they embraced with a long hug of disbelief and celebration…and then Kichoge came to rejoice with them.

 

It was really a beautiful sight.

 

In a time when more and more people are working to defend and uphold individual rights, I think that Nageeye’s example of encouragement is one that we should follow. Nageeye could have forged ahead on his own. He could have looked after himself to the exclusion of others and no one would have faulted him for his push for a medal. Yet instead, he decided to take his friend with him. He wanted to see his friend on the podium beside him, so he pushed and pulled and cheered until his friend came alongside him. No doubt, it would have been easier for Nageeye to run straight ahead, alone, but he didn’t choose to do that. He chose self-sacrifice, encouragement, and friendship instead.

 

In yesterday’s New Testament reading from Ephesians, we read: Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 4:31-5:2).  

 

Jesus did not choose to go at life alone. He chose community. God does not exist as one person. God is Trinity God, three in one, a community of love that exists within God’s self. We are, therefore, to be imitators of God, living in community with one another, looking out for the good of all, rather than working to protect the rights and successes of one.

 

God: We, your people, have allowed this world, this sickness, these politicians and masks and vaccinations, to push us into bitterness, wrath, anger, wrangling, slander, and malice. Forgive us. Help us to live as imitators of you, in community with one another, extending kindness and encouragement and self-sacrifice to all, for the sake of Your Presence in this world, your sacrificing presence, Jesus, unselfish, always giving, always extending a hand to cheer on a friend. Amen.