“SIMPLE HARDY LIFE UNDER PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS.”
That’s how Eric Liddell describes life at Weihsien to his wife, Florence. But, though his description makes Weihsien sound like a fun campout in the woods with friends, Eric’s life there is, in reality, something else entirely.
Eric is a prisoner at Weihsien Internment Camp—a Japanese prison camp. And though inmates at Weihsien don’t suffer the levels of cruelty that have been the hallmark of many prison camps throughout history, conditions are still dire.
The biggest problem is the overcrowding. The camp houses over 1,500 prisoners, far more than it can reasonably accommodate.
Overcrowding means shortages of everything: food, fuel… soap. Bugs and rats are everywhere. The latrine situation is appalling. I’ll spare you the details. The inmates at Weihsien come from different nationalities, different walks of life, and different religious backgrounds. These differences, along with the close quarters, the constant hunger, and the lack of necessities inevitably leads to friction. It’s the sort of place that brings out the worst in people.
But somehow, this Scotsman Eric Liddell seemed untouched by the darkness that hangs over most of his fellow prisoners. The conditions take a toll on his body, but not his spirit.
Eric is a committed Christian. He’s in China as a missionary, devoted to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. And Eric’s Christianity is more than skin-deep. Throughout his time at Weihsien, he begins his days with a dedicated time of prayer. No matter how awful the situation, he never mistreats anyone; he never speaks ill of others; he never seems to think of himself. He’s always looking for opportunities to serve. And somehow, he always stays positive. One fellow prisoners says that Eric seems to be constantly smiling. And the more they get to know Eric, the more they realize that none of this is an act. There is no whiff of superiority of self-righteousness about Eric’s exemplary behavior. Eric Liddell is just that kind of man.
Eric quickly gets busy at the camp. Besides doing more than his fair share of daily chores, he organizes church services, seeks out those who need extra help or encouragement, and teaches the young people. Eric has an especially soft spot in his heart for the teenagers of Weihsien. He invests in their lives, not only with practical knowledge, but also with biblical instruction. Many of them begin to look up to him as an example and a mentor. One such young man is Stephen Metcalf.
Steve Metcalf was born in Kunming, China. Like Eric, Steve is the son of missionaries. Also like Eric, Steve is one of thousands of foreigners imprisoned during Japan’s war with China, despite the fact that they have nothing to do with the actual conflict. Steve and his classmates are taken from their boarding school to an internment camp. Then, when Steve is transferred to Weihsien, he meets Eric.
Steve idolizes Eric. What teenage boy would not want to strike up a friendship with a famous athlete? it’s been nearly twenty years ago now, but Eric Liddell became a household name back in 1924. In the lead up to the Olympics in Paris, he refused to run in the 100 meters because the qualifying heat was on a Sunday. Everyone expected him to win the race, so it was a blow to British pride but Eric stuck to his guns. Then, when Eric ran in the 400 meters—a race in which many expected he would perform poorly—he shocked the sports community by taking home the gold.
After the 1924 Olympics, Eric had a bright future ahead of him as a record-breaking runner. But rather than continue his sports career, Eric chose to return to China to be a missionary like his parents. It was that decision and his determination to stay in China—even as the political situation became more and more volatile—that landed him at Weihsien Internment Camp.
Steve wasn’t even born when Eric won his famous race at the Olympics, but he still thinks the world of Eric Liddell.
At Weihsien, as a means of raising morale, Eric helps organize sports for the young people. Even though he gave up sports to pursue missions work, Eric’s love of athletics never quite went away. Eric even joins in, and despite the years that have passed since his glory days, he manages to beat much younger men in foot races around the compound.
As Steve helps Eric repair the worn out sports equipment and sits under his teaching, he benefits both from Eric’s selfless example and his loving exposition of God’s Word. Many years later, Steve recalls one particular lesson where Eric teaches from the Sermon on the Mount, his favorite portion of Scripture. Eric shares with his class the truth of Matthew 5:44: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” With a smile, Eric tells Steve and the others that after reflecting on this verse, he has made it his habit to pray for the Japanese, their captors.“We spend a lot of time praying for all our loved ones and the people we like,” Eric says, “but Jesus told us to pray for the people we don’t like.”
Those words plant a seed of something in Steve’s heart.
One day, Eric approaches Steve and quietly offers him a pair of well-worn running shoes. To a lesser man, those running shoes might have served as a valuable reminder of past glory. To Eric, they are just a pair of shoes and he has noticed that Steve needs new shoes.
A few weeks later, with Eric’s shoes on his feet, Steve helps carry a rough wooden casket to a carefully dug grave. Inside the casket is the lifeless body of Eric Liddell.
Eric’s health had declined, but by the time anyone really noticed, it was too late. It was a brain tumor and his friends could do nothing to help except try to make his last days as comfortable as possible.
Eric Liddell dies on February 21, 1945. He is only forty-three years old.
The funeral is a deeply moving event. At the ceremony, the Beatitudes are read:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12)
It seems a fitting tribute to a man who was so gentle, so kind, so selfless.
Steve Metcalf is crushed. He wonders how it can be that such a servant of God who has sacrificed so much could meet such a humble end. But life goes on.
The shoes Eric gave to Steve wear out. They are impossibly threadbare by the time Steve and the other prisoners are set free, and he is glad to discard them in favor of more functional footware. But Steve will carry a piece of Eric with him out of that awful place. Eric’s example, his generosity, and his love for others—even his enemies—leave a lasting mark on Steve’s life.
Steve could have easily become bitter against the Japanese people, wanting nothing to do with them after the horrors of Weihsien. Instead, he chooses to dedicate the majority of his life to reaching them with the gospel. Steve goes on to spend almost forty years in Japan reaching souls with the gospel and establishing churches. And Steve points to Eric as a major influence in pointing his life in that direction.
Steve died in 2014 after devoting his life to the work of God. And I wonder… how would his life have been different if it weren’t for the humble example of a simple Scotsman who simply wanted to do what Jesus said?
In 1 Corinthians 11, the Apostle Paul says something that I have always been afraid to say.
He tells the Christians in Corinth, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) It seems an impossibly bold thing to say, but Paul was saying that it would be appropriate for them to imitate him because of how closely he was following Jesus.
He told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3, “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” (3:10-11)
Paul is confident that Timothy knows him fully and he is still able to encourage Timothy to follow his example.
How well would others be served by following in your footsteps?
I often ask myself what my children are learning from my example day after day. Are they learning to be kind, to be generous, to be forgiving, to tell the truth, to always put God first… or are they learning to look out for number one?
It can drive us crazy to think of those looking to us and learning from our example. We can obsess about how we act and speak around those people to make sure they learn only positive lessons from us, while we hide our flaws away so they won’t see.
But Paul had a different solution, one that also marked Eric Liddell’s life. Paul followed Jesus Christ with all his heart and soul. He knew that if he was following closely in Jesus’s footsteps, he would not mislead those who were following him.
Eric Liddell didn’t pray for his enemies because he wanted to impress Steve Metcalf or have a positive influence on him. Eric prayed for his enemies because that’s what Jesus said His followers do. Do you want to be a great example and leave a lasting influence like Eric Liddell did?
Just love and follow Jesus.
Learn More
Read For the Glory, a biography of Eric Liddell
Read Steve Metcalf’s memory of Eric
Read Steve Metcalf’s account of his own story
Exempla 