Eric Liddell: Pure Gold: A New Biography of the Olympic Champion Who Inspired Chariots of Fire

​Be still, my soul,The Lord is on thy side.Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.Leave to thy God to order and provide,Through every change, He faithful will remain.Be still my soul, thy best, thy heavenly friendThrough thorny ways leads to a joyful end.--Be Still My Soul, Katharina A. von Schlegel, 1752​I’ve never seen the 1981 biopic “Chariots of Fire.” For most of my life, I’d never even heard of its subject, a Scottish runner and 1924 Olympic gold medalist named Eric Liddell.But then at the turn of the millennium, I was soundly saved. I started a monthly Christian Music Hour for nursing-home residents, and became immersed in the old hymns that they loved. In the process, I fell head over heels for “Be Still My Soul,” written in 1752 by German hymnist Katharina von Schlegel. And I learned that it was the favorite hymn of this fellow Liddell.Not interested in track or the Olympics, I didn’t pay much attention. But his name stuck with me. And as I memorized the lyrics to “Be Still My Soul,” I occasionally wondered about this man who shared my love of this beautiful hymn.Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertakeTo guide the future as He has the past.Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;All now mysterious shall be bright at last.Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still knowHis voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.PictureThen, a couple years ago, I began to read articles about, and biographies of, great Christians of the past. And soon my mind and heart were filled with the stories of people like Adoniram Judson, William Carey, John Bunyan, Lottie Moon, John and Charles Wesley--men and women who lived and died for Christ's Great Commission.It was a month or two ago that Maranatha Baptist University professor David Saxon and his wife Jamie recommended a biography of Eric Liddell, Pure Gold by David McCasland. I quickly found a used copy and added it to my Must Read stack.Here’s the story in a nutshell.When Liddell won the gold medal in 1924, the world was his oyster. Or it would have been, had he been interested in the world. But he wasn’t; he was interested only in serving the Lord. And so, having been born in China to missionary parents, it was to China that he returned after winning the gold.Liddell’s was not a spectacular missionary story. He didn’t carve out new territory for Christ in uncharted lands, as did Judson in Burma. His work didn’t necessarily lead to millions of converts over the generations, as did the efforts of Carey in India. Instead, Liddell spent his years in northern China teaching, coaching various sports, sharing the gospel with the residents of remote villages, and being a godly and beloved role model to all who knew him.When World War II reached the Pacific, Liddell was among the hundreds of foreigners who were confined to a Japanese prison camp in Weihsien, China. It wasn’t a horrific place—nothing like Auschwitz or Dachau or any of the other monstrous camps run by the Nazis. But it was a prison nonetheless, separating him for three years from his beloved wife Flo and their three daughters, who had escaped to Canada.It was in this camp that 43-year-old Eric Liddell unexpectedly died, months before the end of the war in the Pacific, of a brain tumor.Be still, my soul, though dearest friends departAnd all is darkened in the vale of tears;Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repayFrom His own fulness all He takes away.PictureEric Liddell's wife Flo and their daughters Heather, Maureen and PatriciaPure Gold is not quite perfect, in my mind anyway. I prefer my biographies to be strictly factual, and author McCasland rather frequently imagines his subjects’ innermost thoughts and feelings in novel-esque fashion.But it is a wonderful book nevertheless.I think one of the main reasons I loved Pure Gold is this: In many ways, Liddell was a very ordinary man. He was intelligent but not a great genius. Nor was he known for astounding bravery in the face of enemy attacks or for a spectacular sense of humor or light-up-the-room personality. He was apparently as reserved as he was humble. But those he lived and worked with seem to have loved and respected him beyond measure for his kindness, his concern for others, his self-sacrificing conduct, and his overriding love for, and complete surrender to, our Creator God.“He wasn’t a great leader, or an inspired thinker,” wrote an unnamed internee in a personal diary, “but he knew what he ought to do, and he did it. He was a true disciple of the Master and worthy of the highest of places amongst the saints gathered in the Church triumphant.” (Page 285)Liddell did some writing towards the end of his life, and Pure Gold contains many enlightening and uplifting quotes. For instance, he opened an essay entitled “The Key to Knowing God” thusly: “One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having his peace and assurance in your heart; it is OBEDIENCE … OBEDIENCE to God’s Will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to DO God’s Will that brings certainty.” (Page 241-242)The book also quotes a number of moving tributes at memorial services following Liddell’s death. For instance, long-time friend A. P. Cullen said this:“The most noteworthy feature in Eric’s life was the regular and rapid progress of his spiritual development. It is as phenomenal as the speed with which, in a 100-yards race, after being yards behind at halfway, he would catch up and pass the winning post an easy first, leaving the other competitors standing. In the athletic world, no one knows how he did it—it remains a mystery; but for his progress in the spiritual race, there is a very clear and definite explanation. First of all, absolute surrender to the Will of God … It was toward the attainment of that ideal that he directed all his mental and spiritual energies.” (pages 283-284)Though I painstakingly nursed Pure Gold, not wanting it to end, I regretfully finished it early this morning. I’d been saving the last chapter but woke at 4 a.m. and, well, there the book was. Irresistible.As I mentioned, I don’t like it when biographies imagine what the author couldn’t possibly have known. But in the case of Pure Gold, I will make one exception. It’s at the very end of the book (page 298), where McCasland imagines the thoughts of Eric’s widow Flo on the first New Year’s Eve following his death:“Eric’s race was over, but hers had just begun. She vowed to run it willingly, eagerly, and, at the end, to throw back her head to finish in triumph and joy. Eric had gone on ahead, and one day she would be with him again.“She needed neither hymnal nor piano as she softly sang:“Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening onWhen we shall be forever with the Lord,When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.”​A perfectly poignant ending to a close-to-perfect book. Highly recommended! (for photos, visit the Eternal Eyes blog at EverlastingPlace . com )

I approached this book as a thirsty, worn "traveler" in this journey called Life, and it did not disappoint. While the bio may be deemed dryly academic by many who are coasting along at present, it is a lifeboat to those of us assaulted by the Enemy of our Souls, by our own sinful flesh, and by unfortunate circumstances outside our control.I found especially intriguing how Eric Liddell coped with living in essentially a Japanese-run "ghetto" during World War II. How does a Christian handle himself when separated for years from wife and children (the youngest born whom he would never see)? How does he handle living in such close proximity with hundreds of other "foreigns", some missionaries but many unbelievers with a completely different ethic? He played cards with them (much to the chagrin of a more fundamentalist's mindset); he built a shelf for a known prostitute, seeking no "favor" in exchange. How do Christians handle receiving letters from loved ones when they arrive 6 months late? Other heroes in this ghetto included the Roman Catholic monk who ran an underground to acquire food staples, until he was thrown in prison (and sang so interminably his jailers let him out early just b/c they hated his singing).Towards the end of the bio, Mrs. Liddell, informed of her husband's death (brain tumor while incarcerated), writes several letters, which are reprinted. The one that especially grips a reader who has struggled with financial plight is where she writes the Mission Board how Eric's last will seems unrecoverable and she needs assistance re the settling of his estate for her and her 3 daughters' welfare. As a nurse, she is able to earn a living wage, but Life was not easy for this new widow and we get a peek at that in the last chapter.Consider purchasing this book only if you have suffered enough to ask yourself how do Christians persevere and remain faithful in hard times.

Eric Liddell is best known as the topic of the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire where he wins the gold medal in the men's 400 meters at the 1924 Summer Olympics. But, the part of Liddell's life covered in Chariots of Fire encompasses only the first 1/3rd of this book. The remaining 2/3rds of the book chronicle Liddell's work as a missionary in China for the final 18 years of his life.Liddell's early years in China can best be described and relatively comfortable. As a single man he taught, coached and discipled mostly in English at affluent schools. Eric knew little Chinese, but his celebrity and character allowed him access to the hearts and souls of many young men.The middle years of Liddell's service in China saw him become an ordained minister and accept greater responsibility in the school. In addition, this is when he courted his wife and started a family.At the tail end of Liddell's time in China World War II was in full swing, with the Japanese occupying much of China. While most westerners and missionaries left China for safer regions Liddell stayed behind, continued his work and remained separated from his family for years at a time. His sacrifice and struggles during this period were astonishing.In Chinese, the word "crisis" combines the characters of danger and opportunity. This best describes Liddell's later years in China. One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having his peace and assurance in your heart; it is "obedience". This was a word that Eric Liddell lived by.

Been watched over and over since we got it.

Interesting read. Never realised Eric Liddell gave so much of his life to the church in China. Seeing very little of his family as a consequence.

Great - just what I wanted

i loved it

Excellent.