The Finish Line His Father Wouldn't Let Him Miss

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British sprinter Derek Redmond lined up for the 400-meter semifinal carrying the weight of years — injuries, surgeries, and a lifetime of training. When the gun fired, he surged forward with everything he had. Then, halfway around the bend, his hamstring snapped. He crumpled to the track in agony while the other runners disappeared ahead of him.

What happened next became one of the most replayed moments in Olympic history. Redmond pulled himself up. Weeping, he began to hop toward the finish line. And then a large man in a T-shirt pushed past security and ran onto the track. It was Jim Redmond — Derek's father. He wrapped his arm around his son's waist and said, "We're going to finish this together." The crowd of 65,000 rose to their feet as father and son crossed the line, Derek's face buried in his father's shoulder.

That is the gospel of hope. We set out with ambition and strength, and somewhere along the way, something tears. The race feels lost. But the writer of Hebrews reminds us that we "run with perseverance the race marked out for us" not because we are unbreakable, but because our Father runs onto the field when we fall.

Hope is not the absence of collapse. Hope is the Father who refuses to let you finish alone.