Spiritual Speed Skating

The Winter Olympics. Also known as that period where I marvel how these talented athletes don’t break their legs every single day while also judging that one skater’s slow rotation from my slothful sofa. Olympians make it look so easy, because they are the best competing against the best. Because they have dedicated their entire lives to that one moment. Because I don’t see their lives when the camera is off. But it is hard work. It toils on their bodies and spirits. They have a few seconds to prove themselves in front of the world—victory or defeat.

As I tuned into the speed skating, I figured this sport had a low learning curve for me the viewer. No weird technical jargon, no judges’ scoring system to unpack. Skate fast = win. And it seemed like that for the first few rounds. I thought it was odd that they competed in pairs; why not eight or ten out there like runners do? Then in one fall I learned why.

The pair competing was Norwegian Allan Dahl Johansson and Dutch Koen Verweij. Johansson crashed just before the halfway mark. There were gasps, as there usually are with falls and crashes at the Olympics. Then the commentators said, “This is it for Johansson and for Verweij.” How does his competitor’s fall affect him? For the rest of the race, they watched Verweij, knowing his chances of medaling were all but gone. Without someone to race against, the pace was lost. And now it was just him. You could see the agony in his face and legs. You could see the strength and training and resolve it takes.

It reminded me of how we need people in our spiritual challenges. Even if we think we can go it alone. Even if the other people aren’t necessarily friend. It’s harder alone. It’s all but lost alone. The toil wears faster. The resolve falls quicker.

Others can make it look easy, as if prayer and spiritual relationships develop naturally. But they take pain and practice and a lot of hard work. They only look easy because you see a few seconds of that person’s life. Each decision comes after hours and months of prayer, confession, failing, and resolve. Each decision is a moment for victory or defeat. And it’s much harder to attain victory alone.