In the book of Genesis, the description of the first six days of Creation is completed in the saying, “There was evening and there was morning.” Yet on the seventh day, a Saturday—the Sabbath day—this phrase is not used. There is morning, but there is no mention of evening. God begins resting, and the reader is left in suspense. The seventh-day Sabbath’s rest is only fulfilled much later—when Christ himself rested in the tomb. Jesus Christ, who takes the place of all sinful mankind from the first Adam, becomes the second Adam. Christ died on a Friday, the sixth day; he rested in the tomb on the seventh day; and he rose again on Easter Sunday, completing the seventh day, thereby beginning an eternal “eighth day.” Sunday the eighth day becomes a new Sabbath day for worship in which we await Christ’s ultimate return—a day that will have no end.
Some today have called Eric Liddell a martyr, yet that designation isn’t quite accurate. While no one would dispute Eric’s character or that he died during his missionary work, Eric Liddell succumbed to natural causes, not hostile forces ending his life because of his Christian faith.
Besides, Eric was never one for noble titles.
Martyr or not, Eric Liddell is at rest, but his race goes on. The Christian message and the missionary legacy he carried was handed off to him by previous runners. He ran with it well, then faithfully passed the baton, inspiring countless other saints to do the same.
Eric Liddell’s God and Master, Jesus Christ, is the firstborn of the dead, and he will deliver this same promise of a resurrection and everlasting life to all who believe and rest in him upon his final return. This is the hope in which Eric spent his life. A hope he confessed in the creeds tens of thousands of times throughout his life and taught in innumerable ways to any and all who would listen.
He who has ears, let him hear.
Rev. Eric Eichinger
AFTERWORD
When you speak of me, give the glory to my master, Jesus Christ.
Eric Liddell
Eric Liddell touched and inspired many people throughout his life, and he continues to do so. Eric’s life was a race, and though it concluded all too soon, his message of Christ’s love and grace was passed on to more people than he could have possibly imagined. The legacy he carried did not die, for it was not his alone; it had been passed down to him. He merely offered his best, sprinted forward full tilt with it, and handed off the relay baton to the next waiting runner to carry on. In 1981 the incredible bombshell film Chariots of Fire was nominated for seven Oscars and won four of them, including Best Picture and Best Original Score. It thrust Eric Liddell back into circles of relevance and influence in dramatic form. Today, he and Florence—both with the Lord—have three children, nine grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Florence Liddell took several years with her three daughters in Toronto, Canada, slowly and steadily trying to heal from the tragic loss of their beloved Eric. She continued working as a nurse. Eventually she remarried, to Murray Hall, a widower himself. Their marriage produced another daughter, Jeannie. Murray died in 1969, leaving Florence with feelings of loneliness once again, yet Eric remained in her heart. Florence made a few visits back to Scotland to see Eric’s relatives. She died at peace in 1984.
Rob Liddell continued as a surgeon in Scotland with Ria and their children, James Ralph and Peggy. Both children became doctors as well. Rob was naturally well-liked and successful in his professional life in Scotland, but in 1958, Rob and Ria moved to Australia, where James Ralph was working in medicine. Peggy remained in Scotland and proved to be instrumental and supportive with assisting the start of the Eric Liddell Centre.
Jenny Liddell Somerville and Ernest Liddell both remained in Edinburgh all their days. Jenny happily married and had two daughters, Rosemary and Joan, in addition to her stepchildren. Her daughter Joan has said that her mother was always very supportive of her famous brother’s running, and it bothered her how she was portrayed in Chariots of Fire. Ernest endured a head injury during World War II. Though it plagued him the rest of his life, he did marry and had a daughter, Susan, who lives in Edinburgh.
Patricia, Heather, and Maureen Liddell, the three daughters of Eric and Florence Liddell, continue to reside in the surrounding metropolitan area of Toronto, Canada. They all unitedly and yet uniquely testify of their parents’ special love for each other as well as of Eric’s exuberant charm and missional heart for people. During their early years, they experienced understandable grief over the absence of their father. While they were delighted about the surprise success of Chariots of Fire, they would have gladly traded it for a childhood spent with their loving father. One by one, as they heard some of the amazing stories of how he touched the lives of so many youth from the Weihsien camp, they grew to understand his being there. In time, they received the opportunity, through a Day of Discovery documentary trip back to China hosted by historical author David McCasland, to walk in the very footsteps of their parents. The documentary film inadvertently brought great peace and healing.
David Patrick Thomson retired from full-time ministry in 1966. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland remembers him as “one of the outstanding leaders of the Church in this generation.” D. P. authored many books, two specifically about Eric. He died in 1974 and is still regarded as Scotland’s Evangelist.
Professor A. P. Cullen, worn down by age and general camp life, made his way home to his family in England after the war. He led a mostly peaceful
