Eddie the Eagle

November 19, 2017

He finished dead last in all his events, but became the hero of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. His name was Michael Edwards, but from childhood, he was called Eddie. We didn’t know it at the time, but he overcame multiple obstacles to become Britain’s sole ski jumper. Nobody except him thought he would even make the team. The British Olympic committee tried to bar him from competition by changing the rules for qualification in midstream, but he managed to qualify anyway. 

I remember watching him jump in the ‘88 Olympics. He had only been jumping for about a year before competing, and had been repeatedly encouraged to quit. But he never did, and although everyone else did better, most of us who remember watching couldn’t name the gold, silver, or bronze medalists. But we remember Eddie the Eagle and his pure joy at actually landing his jump. 

Tonight Linda and I watched the movie was made about his journey to those Olympic Games. Like most biographical movies, I’m sure there was a fair amount of imagination added to the actual events, but nonetheless, it is a powerful testament to one man’s determination. He may not have won any medals, but he won the hearts of people around the world, soaring into Olympic folklore as few others have done. 

We Americans are infatuated with being the best in the world. We keep count of the gold and silver medals won by our athletes, and take pride in our accomplishments. However, we often forget that character and virtue are not the byproducts of winning, but of getting in the game and never giving up. Eddie the Eagle taught us that perseverance and courage are more important than standing on the highest podium. I am grateful tonight for this reminder. I will never be a world famous pastor. I’m only a mediocre evangelist, and am a terrible administrator. But by God’s grace, I will be the best I can possibly be. This coming week will surely bring its share of challenges; may I meet them with every ounce of energy I can muster, so that at the end, I can say with St. Paul that I have not run my race in vain so I can someday hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”