2. Eric, Jerzy and William
Eric Liddell
Eric Henry Liddell was born in Tientsin, China, on January 16, 1902, to James Dunlop Liddell and Mary Reddin. His original name of Henry Eric Liddell was rejected because of what the first letter of each name put together would represent. Even then, apparently acronyms were around as were horrible spellers. More important, Eric’s mom and dad were quite religious, initiating their missionary career in China at the turn of the twentieth century. Eric’s older brother Robert was born in Shanghai two years before. Their sister Jenny was born in China in October 1903. The three children were the only ones in Siaochang who weren’t Chinese.
The family traveled to Southampton, England, in early 1907 just as Eric was getting over a case of dysentery. Before they left, a missionary friend took note of the young lad and mentioned, that boy will never be able to run again. Robert and Eric were enrolled in the missionary school in the Blackheath section of England at Eltham College. The rest of the family had gone back to China. The pair played rugger, which most of us know as rugby. Eric defied the guy who said he would never run again.
In China, the government was overthrown as Sun Yat-sen replaced empress Tz’u-hsi. In 1914, Mary, Jenny and Ernest, who was born two years before in China, arrived in London around the same time as World War I. Jenny began attending school at Walthamstow, but then left for school in China probably due to the war. Before she left, Eric mentioned that his schoolwork wasn’t that great, but he could run.
At Eltham, Rob was a runner, too. For 1918, he and Eric finished in the top two spots in final track events: quarter mile, hurdle race, 100 yards, cross country, high jump, long jump. Rob went on to Edinburgh University while Eric advanced as more of a leader: school prefect, cricket and rugby captains. He ran the 100-yard dash in 10.2 seconds, a record for him and one that stood at the school for 80 years. He also captured the Senior Track Athletics Championship in 1919, which his brother had done a year before. He also impressed the school with his humility and character. He began going to Bible study classes at Eltham and started visiting the sick at the medical mission in Islington. Almost a year passed without Eric doing any running but he set his mind on following A. P. Cullen, a teacher at Eltham, to China as a teacher in Tientsin. Soon, he started running again. He joined Rob at Edinburgh University.
On June 18, at the Scottish Inter-Varsity Sports meet, he won both the 100-yard and 220-yard dashes and repeated the feat at Hampden Park in Glasgow at the Scottish Amateur Athletics Association Championship, posting a 22.6 second time in the 220-yard event, a Scottish AAA record. Eric would repeat his winning ways numerous times in the days that followed, even in 440-yard races. Rob was at medical school at Edinburgh University and he and Eric lived in the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Hostel in a really happy setting. Rob was a member of the Glasgow Students’ Evangelical Union (GSEU) when David P. Thompson, a student from Glasgow, was searching for a speaker. Aware that Eric had never done that before, he asked him if he could say a few words about his faith. Eric agreed.
On April 6, 1923, he found that God had granted him a gift, besides that of running. Not that much of a speaker, he still inspired listeners and gained their attention. A week later, he spoke to 600 students and soon he joined the GSEU. Eventually he would speak to thousands who listened to the famous athlete and his words of faith. Because of his success on the track, Eric had his thoughts on the 1924 Olympics in Paris. He had one test that he needed to succeed at, though.
Winning a 440 race in the summer of 1923 would result in his being on the team from Great Britain. The event started and within seconds J. J. Gillies sent him flying, not only down, but also away from the track. It may have been accidental, but I doubt it. Two officials yelled out, Get up, get up! Eric did, needing a great effort to catch up to the other runners. Slowly he passed the second last one, and then the person ahead of him. His arms were like windmills and his fists punched the air. He lifted his legs high and soon he was ten yards away from Gillies. The crowd was cheering, even those who weren’t Scots. He gave it all he had. He passed J. J. and won the race. He would be going to Paris.
When the star runner found out that the heats for the 100-meter race were to be held on a Sunday, he said, I’m not running, in order to keep the Sabbath holy as the fourth commandment instructs. Eric was entered in the 200- and 400-meter events, but neither the 4 x 100 nor 4 x 400 relays because both heats were also on a Sunday. In the semifinal 200-meter race, Charley Paddock finished first, edging Eric by a tenth of a second and the latter wondered if he had enough strength to repeat his effort in the final. Eric didn’t begin well and didn’t finish in first. He managed to be the first Scot to ever win a medal in the Olympics, doing so by ending up in third place and winning the bronze. The next day was the 400-meter run.
Six runners qualified for the 400-meter event: two Americans, Horatio Fitch and J. C. Taylor; Canadian D. M. Johnson; Joseph Imbach from Switzerland; Gary Butler from Great Britain; Eric Liddell. Liddell was in the sixth lane. He was tired and Fitch had set an Olympic record with a 47.8 second run. When the race began, Eric started out in a sprint, leading the way. Fitch was right behind him and as they neared the finish line, Eric gave it all he had. He was the winner setting a record at 47.6 seconds. Eric wasn’t proud of himself; he was proud of his country.
When Eric graduated on July 17 1924, his family wasn’t in attendance but it was made up of Scots, professors, classmates and dignitaries. When the name Eric Henry Liddell was announced, the crowd cheered and kept it up until vice-chancellor Sir Alfred Ewing pleaded for calm. Speaking to Eric, Sir Alfred said, you have shown that none can pass you but the examiner! Laughter and more cheering followed and Ewing asked for silence once more. When the ceremony ended, he was carried out on the shoulders of students to a thanksgiving service. There he was beseeched to say a few words. He told of the words found over the gate of the University of Pennsylvania: In the dust of defeat as well as in the laurels of victory there is glory to be found if one has done his best.
Before the Olympics, Eric had his mind set on missionary work in China, but decided to spend a year at the Scottish Congregational College in Edinburgh first. That year, Annie Buchan, a nurse from Peterhead decided to be a Chinese missionary after observing Eric. Also inspired was Peter Marshall who came to America and eventually became a well-respected pastor, serving as U. S. Senate chaplain. Elsa McKechnie was only fourteen, but admired him and hoped to meet him, which she did when he visited the McKechnie home for tea. During the year Eric appeared at numerous speaking events. He also competed at track and continued his winning ways.
Traveling east, Eric took a ferry from England to France where he boarded the Trans-Siberian Railway for his 5,000-mile trip to Tientsin. Family members had been on long journeys before and that would continue. As usual, China was unstable. On arrival, Eric would see his family, do some preaching, meet some of the teachers from the Anglo-Chinese College and even relax at the gulf. Natives considered visitors to their land foreign devils, whether missionaries or traders.
Eric was appointed Sunday school superintendent at his father’s church. One morning in 1929, while at the church, a young woman approached him, saying: Hello, Eric. You don’t remember me, do you? It was Florence MacKenzie, who he had met four years before when she was a fourteen-year old. She was there for work at the mission. She had loved him for a few years. It wasn’t long before they were courting, despite their ten-year age difference. Soon Eric asked her to marry him and she agreed. They were engaged a few months after that. Like his parents, it would be a long engagement.
MacKenzie traveled to Toronto with her sister for nursing studies while Eric made his way to Great Britain. He preached and had other speaking gigs. He visited his parents and Ernest, who was in a business college in Edinburgh. Jenny was engaged to Dr. Charles Somerville with a wedding coming in the spring. On June 22, 1932, Liddell was ordained at the Scottish Congregational College. He needed to return to Tientsin. Meanwhile, Japan captured Manchuria and next was an attack on Shanghai.
He had been without Florence for a long time but was managing with all his duties. One day he read the scripture passage, lo, I am with you always and he sensed the presence of his dad. The next day he heard, by way of a telegram, that James had died peacefully in Drymen, Scotland. He couldn’t go back for the funeral or to his family. A short time afterwards, Eric received a letter from his dad when the elder confirmed that the lad was fulfilling God’s mission. The same day of the letter, Florence passed her exams. Two months later, she and her mother returned to China. On March 27, 1934, Florence and Eric were wed in Union Church. A year and a few months later, Florence gave birth to a little girl, whom they named Patricia.
The country was at war and Siaochang was not a safe place to be. Eric was needed there so he considered going. Florence was to remain in Tientsin. Eric left for Siaochang in September 1936. There he witnessed the military presence, disease, hunger and drought. Despite this, he felt that this is where God was calling him to be. He loved what he was doing, preaching and serving the people. This he did while hearing exploding shells and gunfire. Florence was in Tientsin with Patricia and the new baby, Heather.
One night no one showed up for the service at the church. There was a noise outside, which made the missionaries uneasy, but it was an opium addict, who fell down on his knees. Many were surprised because they thought he was in prison. He had prayed and had been set free, though. With this congregation for Eric to preach to, the service began. Most of the time, the missionaries faced many disappointments, realizing that there wasn’t much they could do. Eric took a short break and went to his family, but then returned to the war zone.
The hospital became known as a rescue mission. No one was refused help, whether bandit, friend, foe, Chinese or Japanese. Besides giving physical treatments, Eric also applied spiritual lessons. Annie Buchan created a baby clinic in order to fight against the rising infant mortality rate. A milk substitute, soya-bean milk, was shown to make a difference in saving children while not that costly.
In the summer of 1939, he returned to Tientsin for some more time off. Japan was in charge of the area, having pushed heroin as well as cheap goods on the Chinese. Before long, the Liddell family would sail across the Pacific to get away from the strife. Their destination was Hawaii, to be followed by Vancouver and finally Toronto. Florence and the girls stayed in Toronto with her relatives and Eric headed for Scotland, where he would visit his mom, Jenny, Charles and Ernest. World War II was starting in Europe. In early 1940, Florence, Patricia and Heather arrived in Scotland.
They returned to China later that year. In Siaochang the Chinese were forced to demolish their own villages and build roads for the Japanese. Casualties kept coming to the hospital, more than before. Food and supplies were scarce. Eric continued preaching and doing all he could to help. In early 1941, two weeks notice was offered to the missionaries for them to depart. Florence soon discovered she was pregnant and she and the girls departed for Canada, once more. Maureen was born that September.
Eric and others were sent to the internment camp at Weihsien. At first it was very difficult, but the captives made the best of the situation, even making it somewhat civilized and hospitable. Unfortunately, Eric’s health suffered even as he inspired others. He was diagnosed with malnutrition, sinusitis and influenza. He exhibited characteristics of a neurological problem, with his right leg paralyzed, but somehow, he rallied. On February 21, he returned to the hospital and then to the church. Coughing and choking at the same time, he was taken to the hospital, where he proceeded into a convulsion, followed by a coma. He died that day and was finally entered into the presence of God.
In 1980, Eric was honored with the Eric Liddell Centre in Edinburgh as an inspiring hero for his life as a Christian. A memorial headstone was placed on his grave in Weihsien in 1991 with the words, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary. The United States Episcopal Church celebrates a feast day in Liddell’s honor on February 22.