I don't know about you, but I'm having "Winter Olympic Withdrawal!"  I miss the excitement of those winter games.  Yes the games were marked with tragedy; the terrible death of the Luger from the Soviet republic of Georgia, and also the sudden death of the mother of the Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette.  These games teach us a great deal about life.  There were joys and sorrows, highs and lows.  Highs, like seeing the USA win the first gold medal ever in a Nordic Combined event; and lows like the Dutch speed skater who was on his way to his second gold when he took the wrong lane and was disqualified.  And what a way to close the games, with Canada beating the USA in an amazing hockey game.  We'll get them in 4 years!

The Olympics are a reflection of life.  We also have highs and lows, joys and sorrows.  The Bible compares the Christian life to a sporting event in more than one passage.  We are told in 1 Corinthians 9:24, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."  Competition - life - is not easy.  It takes hard work and a lot of practice and sometimes even though we have trained and trained, things in this world don't always work out the way we want.  More athletes did not get a medal in these games than the ones that did. 

There was one athelet that stuck out in my mind.  He was Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, or the "Snow Leopard" a 31 year old snow skiier from Ghana.  That's right, i said a snow skiier from Ghana.  He learned to ski only about 7 or 8 years ago and does most of his skiing indoors because not much in the way of snow skiing in Ghana.  He didn't place but he ran the race to get the prize.  So among the highs and lows, ups and downs, I think what we learn from these winter games is to run the race!  Keep the faith!  Whether you have been at the Christian faith for a short time or for your whole life, keep running to get the prize. 

Now what does "keep running" mean?  Continue to be in God's house.  Come to worship and receive the precious gifts of God.  Feed on His Word and Sacraments.  Continue to train the body and soul through study of that living and active Word.  Run in Christ Jesus, and the prize is yours!  Jesus has won the victory for you!