I need a brother like that

I expect you’ve seen the video that’s gone viral on social media. 90,000 shares, 10,000 comments and more than 300,000 reactions on Facebook has got to mean it struck a cord. If by some fluke you haven’t seen it on the sports news or the internet here is what happened.

It is the World Triathlon Series when the very best on the planet compete for the ultimate prize in the event. Britain’s olympic champions, the Brownlee brothers, were leading the field with 200m to go when disaster struck. Jonny, in the lead, found his battle with heat exhaustion too much and began wandering all over the course. Dazed and confused, he was propped up by a race official when his brother Alistair rounded the corner and instantly sized up the crisis. It seems he made a split second decision, abandoned his own prospect of gold and ran over to support his brother. Together the two of them limped the last few metres while the third placed athlete ran past them, punching the air at his good fortune. He took first place, but instantly became an irrelevance. All the cameras swung round to see the brothers lollop across the finish line as Jonny collapsed on the ground.

That clip brought me to the verge of tears. Something about the brotherly love, the sacrifice and camaraderie of these two men reminded me of what I’d given my life for. Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for me and calls me to do the same for him, and for my brothers and sisters in the church.

I need brothers like that; truth-be-told we all do. When life get tough or we find ourselves confused and wandering, we need each other to run the Christian race in a world that will sap our spiritual vitality.

Hebrews encourages us to “draw near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith” and “spur one another on to love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:22-24). Then on the next page he explains why:

“Let’s run with perseverance the race marked out for us … Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, ignoring its shame and is now sat down at the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Ian

PS. You know you want to see it, so go here: