A Father Runs

Derek Redmond had trained twelve years for his moment at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Halfway through the 400-meter semifinal, he heard a pop — his right hamstring had torn. He collapsed onto the track, then slowly pushed himself back to his feet. He wasn't going to quit.

As 65,000 fans watched in silence, Derek hobbled forward, tears streaming down his face. Then a man in a t-shirt pushed past security and ran onto the track. It was Jim Redmond, Derek's father. He put his arms around his son and told him he didn't have to finish. Derek said he was going to finish. So Jim held him up, and together they crossed the finish line — the crowd rising in a standing ovation that shook the stadium.

That image — a father breaking through every barrier to reach his suffering child — is one of the most powerful pictures of love in modern sports history.

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5 that while we were still weak, still stumbling along on our own broken strength, God demonstrated His love for us. He didn't wait for us to figure it out. He ran onto the track.