I watched the last few miles of the marathon during the Beijing Olympics, and it both surprised and enlightened me. One woman, as I recollect from the UK, seemed destined and poised to win the gold medal by a long shot. However, a half mile from the finish line, the pollution of China overcame her, combined with other elements I am sure, and she faltered, never even actually finishing the race. Due to this surprise move, other nations medalled, including a surprise woman who came from way behind to win the silver medal. Predictions are guesses. The race does not necessarily go to those destined or expected to win, to those who are swift and strong, but it goes to those who finish the race. Stunned as I was by this turn of events, I watched at least two dozen women finish the women's marathon. I paid attention to their faces. I paid attention to their progress. Within that last mile, many people suddenly fell out of step, and others took their place, and I realized that it's not over until it's over. There is risk in celebrating before the end, and there is risk if you let other people deter you from enduring to that end. Most of those women must have known it was unlikely to win a medal, but they ran anyway. Others must have run for reasons besides those enshrined in the record books for all to see. They came to run the race.
People want to win. They will disparage you in politics to get their candidate to win. All over the media right now, the talking heads clamor that it's already over, it's already decided, although Trump lacks sufficient delegates to actually triumph at this point. As much as I feel Kasich is a foil, it's entirely possible that he'll come from behind and win. It's not over until it's over, but they want you to think it's over so that you won't get out and vote. I've long been annoyed by Iowa and New Hampshire determining the race, and even though Nevada moved up its primaries to matter more, why do some small states get to decide for everyone else, and why does some small minded businessman with a fat portfolio get to tell you that he's inevitable? Didn't we hear that from Romney, who ultimately lost? They do not know what will happen. They do not get to decide for you for what or whom you will vote unless you let them. None of these men actually finished the race yet. None of these men have enough votes. Although Trump claims "One man, one vote", despite having 37% of the votes, he holds more than 50% of the delegates. That's not fair, equitable, or equal, and it's not reflective of democracy as he claims or consistent with his bumper sticker lies. What about the 60% of people who didn't vote for him? They deserve to see the candidates finish the race.
During the race, it is impossible to accurately tell who will end up where in the race results because we do not know enough about the runners. In all aspects of living, they will try to get you to measure yourself by outcomes rather than efforts. In the middle of your life, they will compare you to others. You will sit in groups surrounded by people who earn more, live in better or bigger homes, drive fancier cars, have more or better behaved children, earned their degree at a younger age, possess loftier titles, have more attractive spouses, etc. They will not consider where you came from, the obstacles you face, or the circumstances in which you work. They will not consider that much of what you see is a play, the parliament jester's foist on a somnambulent public. You will not see the marital strife in that perfect family, the health problems caused by a dangerous albeit well-compensated job, the debt in which your neighbors may drown, or the morality exchanged in order to advance in the court of popular opinion. First of all, these people may be running a different race than you are, and so the "end" is different than the one for which you strive. Secondly, these people aren't at the end of their race. Like that British woman in Beijing, they may appear to be in the lead, but they may gasp out just shy of the finish and never actually finish the race.
Everyone runs this race for a different reason. Perhaps most importantly, they will attempt to disparage you in your faith to get you to quit believing and join them in debauchery. They will mistakenly conclude that because you are not blessed or exalted or married or rich or a leader of your congregation, that because you don't have everything that God must not love you. They will conclude during times of trouble as they did to Job that God must be angry with you, if He exists at all, and that you've done something wrong. The do not understand. They do not believe that you have to finish the race, because in too many cases they know they would not be able to in your place. One of the leaders of my congregation told me a month or so ago that if he'd been forced to walk my path he would not be active or faithful anymore; I don't say this to diminish him; I say this to point out that everyone has a breaking point, but we do not have to let our friends determine that for us. I was taught that we ought endure to the end. It does not mean the end of this trial, this week, this marriage, this job, or anything like that. It means to the end- to endure until the point, the purpose, and the goal is achieved. If your goal is to validate yourself, to pursue the lusts of the flesh, and to "live it up", well, quitting God will get you there. My goal, my race, my purpose, is to please Him so that He will bless me with what He can when the time is right. I cannot get there following your morality. I must finish my race and endure to my end.
They say most people don't know how close they were to success when they quit. You cannot win the race if you do not finish. You cannot finish if you let other people tell you what can be done or who will win. You cannot win the race if you're running for reasons that other people run. You cannot tell who will win until it's over. It's not over until the fat lady sings, and I am not hearing any fat women sing, in politics, in economics, in religion, or in any other facet of my life or yours. You came into this life to run a race. That race is unique in detail as you are in your capability to run it. Your ability to run the race, to finish the race, really depends on what you define as the end of the race and how committed you are to that end. People make time for the things that really truly matter to them, and so they tend to end up where they truly desired to be. It's not over until it's over, but if you quit before you finish, you won't win, you can't win, and you will not see the end for which you started running in the first place. When I first started running, I admit it was to improve my looks, but I run now knowing that fitness and health matter more. Two of my students have this week mentioned as asides in lab that they married their first husband because he was hot and that now they're looking for something else. Even if I do not get all the ends I seek, I still intend to run this race the best I can and to finish it. Even if I have nothing else to show, I can show that I endured, not just well for a time, but until the end, my end, His end- and I enter His rest.
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