In Phil. 3:14, Paul refers to the "upward call of God."
The allusion is probably to a track judge calling the victor up to the winner's podium at the Olympic Games. But one commentator I read suggested that Paul might have had in mind an uphill (or hilly) race. I don't see why this couldn't be true. Only a few of the marathons I've run have had flat courses. These included Richmond, Dallas, and Chicago. Most races involved at least one major climb. At the St. George Marathon in Utah, this was the dreaded Veyo Hill. In DC, it was the final mile of the Marine Corps Marathon. At the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincy, everyone dreaded Mount Adams at the 6 mile mark. My most memorable uphill finish was at the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg. The race organizers called it "Hospital Hill." We runners called in "Hospital Hell." Here's the elevation chart:
Running up this hill was brutal.
Then out of the blue, who should show up but the cavalry Marines!
Then ran with us to the top and then to the finish line.
It's pretty obvious that they made a huge difference in my race. They eagerly jumped into action. One of them ran ahead of me to get me to run faster. People alongside the finishers' chute shouted encouragement. I slowed down but did not stop because I knew that if I did I probably would not be able to get started again. We live in a fast-paced world where it's easy to miss out on those big smiles and high fives. But at the end of the race, those moments become memories that make the ache worthwhile.
In Gal. 6:2, Paul says that we are to "jointly shoulder each member's burdens." As Christians, we have the duty and joy to extend help to the brother or sister who is struggling under a load that's too heavy for them to bear by themselves. In Fredericksburg, this moral support came in the form of the Marines themselves. They couldn't run the race for us. As Paul says, "each person has to bear his own load" (Gal. 6:5). But what they could do is positively encourage us to keep going and finish strong. I see this every semester in my Greek classes where the students joyfully help each other to get over any speed bumps they encounter. It isn't anything profound. It's simply Christian love in action. The amazing thing is that such love is within our power to decide if it will be expressed or not. With a snub we can create horrors. But with one encouraging act we can work miracles.
Encouragement is a power that has been perfected by God himself. But he has entrusted it to us as his representatives to the human race.
