The Long Run – by Edward Dunn

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Friend and Partner Letter from September 2025:

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31, NIV)

The year was 1981 and the Academy Award winning movie Chariots of Fire was filling theatre seats and receiving widespread critical acclaim. In one of the most impactful scenes in the movie, Olympian and missionary, Eric Liddell, stood in a cold Scottish rain surrounded by soaked listeners. As the winds blew all around them, the people huddled closely together as Liddell quoted these poetic words from the book of Isaiah. Having just finished running a race of personal victory himself, Liddell was drawing a familiar and ever relevant parallel. He was reminding his eager listeners that life in Christ Jesus is much like running a race. The race of life isa long run.

“I used to hurry a lot, I used to worry a lot, I used to stay out till the break of day…

Oh, I did some damage, I know it’s true. Never knew I was so lonely till I found you.

You can go the distance, we’ll find out, in the long run…– Lyrics from The Long Run, Eagles

So much of the race of life we run comes with challenge, difficulty and even damage. Whether the challenge, difficulty and damage comes as a result of our own decisions and actions, or from the effects living in our world today can have upon us, life can be an honest struggle and we do suffer. We hurry a lot, we worry a lot and we know our lives are in constant need of renewal. 

As I have written of before, I spent much of my youth and early adulthood as a long distance runner. Early on, my running took place in support of a small high school track team, followed by the rigors of running in college. Later, road racing took over when the college competitions ended. As I aged, I still ran to compete, sure, but mostly I ran for my general health. I ran for the simple pleasure of getting outside in nature and putting in a few miles. As a young man, the long runs were the runs I enjoyed the most. With each step, the words of Isaiah were never far from my mind. I drew strength from both the words and from the related scenes in the movie.

As a much older man now, I don’t really enjoy the long distance runs like I once did. In fact, running, when I am able to run at all, just reminds me of my age, and the sure knowledge that my best days physically are well behind me.

Instead, I can tend now to get caught up in life’s hurries. I get caught up in life’s worries, and, at times, in staying up till the break of day simply because sleep is hard to find. The long run of life comes with a new meaning now. I know my continual need for renewal.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1).

We all can relate to life being like a long distance race. The parallel being drawn for us by the author of Hebrews (as by Eric Liddell above) is not a new one to us. But, how do we live life in the tension between the poetic words of Isaiah as quoted by Liddell, and the honest realities of how challenging, difficult and damaging life’s long run can be?

The long run of life can feel more like uphills than downhills. As an ex-runner, I can tell you that both the uphills and the downhills take a toll on the body. But, the uphills are harder. The breathless stretches and the heavy limbs one can experience on a long run can feel like what it takes just to get up in the morning and move into our day. One day can look just like the next. Each day we do our best to continue our upward climb.

The long run of life can be dirty, sweaty, full of scuffed knees, twisted ankles and aching bones. Yet, we can learn from the hardships we endure. We work and grind and soldier on. Often in life, we have to play hurt, and do the best we can even though we are not at our best.

The long run of life can take place as much in the dark as it does in the light. We cannot always see where we are going. Uncertainty is a constant in this physical life. Often, our ability to reflect on just how long our run has been takes place in the wee-hours of the night, when we can’t seem to find the sleep we need.

The long run of life can feel lonely. Simply put, we can feel completely alone, as if no one else understands us or is experiencing what we are going through. The nature of a long distance race is to run alone. The race may begin in a pack, but rarely does it carry on that way.

The Eagle’s lyrics, “never knew I was so lonely, till I found you,” give us the clue as to how we endure the long runof life. The truth of our lifelong race is that Christ Jesus has found us (rather than the other way around). Jesus runs our race with us.

We may feel utterly tired of the uphills, the scuffed knees, twisted ankles and the aching bones, yet, he gives us the strength to continue running. We may want to walk, or even stop moving forward altogether, to get a much needed break from the challenge, difficulty and damage of it all, yet, he gives us his rest and his ultimate victory. We share in that rest and that victory together.

The lyrics continue, you can go the distance, we’ll find out, in the long run. We can handle some resistance, if our love is a strong one…in the long run. Thanks be to the Author and Finisher of our faith, for our love (his love which becomes our love) is a strong one. With him, we can handle the resistance of life. We can run spiritually and not grow weary; we can walk spiritually and not be faint.

I often return to the words of Isaiah. As a young man, I took the words of the prophet literally, especially in running physical races. I looked to the Lord for physical renewal and strength. As an older man now, I treasure the words as poetry and artful metaphor.

Through the words, I look to the Lord for peace, renewal and spiritual strength. The prophet’s words remind us of our ultimate renewal. They remind us of the source of our ultimate strength. 

And, where does the strength come from to see us through?  Eric Liddell’s answer trackside is our answer today: Our strength comes from the Lord.

In the long run, and in the short run too, Christ Jesus has us covered. He knows our hurries. He knows our worries. He is right there with us in our sleepless nights. Jesus knows our scuffed knees, twisted ankles and aching bones, and the steepness of the uphill climbs we face. He is running alongside us, step-by-step.

As Christ-followers, we are renewed spiritually in his strength. We soar like eagles and run without getting weary in him. Christ is our rest. Christ is our victory. Together with all those who have run before us, we give thanks to him.

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