The Finish Line He Couldn't Reach Alone

On August 3, 1992, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semi-final at the Barcelona Olympics. He had trained for years, overcome five surgeries, and finally earned his place on that track. When the gun fired, he exploded from the blocks. Then, halfway around the bend, his hamstring snapped.

Redmond crumpled to the track. Medical personnel rushed toward him with a stretcher, but he waved them off. He stood up. He started hopping toward the finish line, his face twisted with pain and tears.

Then something remarkable happened. A large man in a T-shirt pushed past security guards, burst through the officials, and wrapped his arm around Derek's waist. It was Jim Redmond — his father. Derek buried his face in his father's shoulder and sobbed. And together, step by agonizing step, they crossed that finish line. Sixty-five thousand people rose to their feet.

Derek Redmond could not finish the race on his own. No amount of grit or willpower could repair what was torn. But his father came to him — uninvited, unstoppable, breaking every rule to reach his son.

That is the gospel. We are all Derek Redmond. We have all pulled up lame on the track of life, unable to reach the finish line by our own strength. But the Father — our Heavenly Father — left His seat, broke through every barrier, and came to carry us home. That is redemption. Not that we reached God, but that He reached us.