Olympics: Biblical encouragement on running to win the prize using the Kenyan long distance running prowess

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

1 Cor 9:24-27 (NLT)

The verses above come from Paul’s letter to the church in the city of Corinth. This was a historical city founded as early as 800 BC. It had been conquered by Rome and completely destroyed in 146 BC. Julius Caesar founded it again in 44 BC. He settled some of his war veterans here giving them lands and titles. It became the capital of the province of Achaia. Most of ancient Greece was contained within this province.

Greek and Latin were the main languages in the city. Greek was the language of daily use while Latin was principally for business purposes. It was strategically located on
a narrow waterway (only 6 kilometers wide). All North-South and East-West traffic had to pass through this port.

Paul and Silas planted the church in Corinth at around 50AD during their second missionary journey. (Acts 18:1-17) Their ministry was so successful that they stayed there for eighteen months. Only in Ephesus did Paul stay for three years.

In these verses, Paul uses a picture drawn from the Isthmian Games. This was the second most important Roman sports festival after the Olympic Games. The Isthmian games were held every two years in Corinth and attracted thousands of people from all over the Roman Empire. The sportsmen competed in six disciplines – athletics, boxing, wrestling, discuss throwing, javelin, and jumping. The modern Olympic games still incorporate these six disciplines. The winner was decorated with a pine wreath on their head. Paul refers to this crown as perishable. He contrasts it to the imperishable one a Christian receives after he finishes his race of life.

Historical records show that the games were held the following year while Paul and Silas were preaching in Corinth. It is highly likely that the missionary duo witnessed them. But he was writing this letter from Ephesus (1 Cor 16:8) as a reply to questions that the Corinthian saints had.

Since the games attracted tens of thousands of people, it seems Corinth did not have enough lodging facilities to house the visitors. The solution was the use of portable tents. These were simple coverings made from animal skins and goat hair, some of the finest materials in use in the ancient world. Paul himself was a tent maker. (Acts 18:3) It is therefore likely that Paul (alongside Aquila and Priscilla) did thriving business during the games.

But Corinth’s success was rivaled by its infamy on sexual vice. Its principal deity was Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love.

The ancient Olympic games were first held in 776BC. They were the most prestigious event held in Olympia in Greece. The games were held every four years in July in honor of the Greek god Zeus, the senior-most god in the Greek pantheon. The champions in the different disciplines were awarded a wreath from a sacred olive tree. They were considered blessed by the gods and got eternal fame throughout the empire. In addition, they got other favors, awards, and privileges from their home cities.

Paul used the images of the games in three other portions of scripture. He wrote to his son Timothy in his farewell letter in 2 Tim 2:5; 4:7-8, and to the Hebrews in Heb 12:1. It is also possible that he wrote to the Philippians with this image in mind (Phil 3:14).

African athletes have excelled in the modern Olympic Games. More specifically, Kenya clinched most medals in the middle and long-distance races. The middle and long-distance races are the 800 m, 1,500 m (the mile), 3,000 m steeplechase, 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the full marathon (42 km).

These middle and long-distance races differ from the sprints. The sprints are categorized as 100m, 200m, 400m, 400 m relay, and 400 m x 4 relays. Generally, the fastest athlete wins. Speed is key in sprint races.

However, in long-distance races, an athlete requires endurance rather than speed. However, speed is always important in the final lap. This is what athletes call the final kick. Having conserved his energy by properly pacing himself, an athlete unleashes a momentous burst of energy and sprints down to the finishing line. In other words, middle and long-distance races not only require intense training, but they also require strategic running. As Christians, each one of us needs to focus on his race of life, endure and finish strong.

Kenya in particular has pride of place on the winner's podium. In the thirty-first (XXXI) Olympiad (Rio 2016) Kenya was the best-placed African country at position sixteen. The country had a total of thirteen medals (six gold, six silver, and one bronze). In the thirty-second (XXXII) Olympiad, Kenya emerged position nineteenth overall with a total of ten medals (four gold, four silver, and two bronze.) These were in the men’s and women’s marathon, men’s 800 m, and women’s 1,500 m.

The essence of the verses is an emphasis on training in order to compete rightly. Training gives the athlete the confidence to run his race and focus on the prize.

Onward African Christian Soldiers

The last few days have stirred up deep pride in the Church of Jesus Christ in Kenya and Africa at large. 
Last week,  several church leaders in Nyanza openly called MP's and local politicians, hypocrites. The ecclesiastical leaders charged that the political leaders were doing little to help people get out of poverty.  They added that these politicians were only interested in political  succession battles. 
As was expected,  the politicians from ODM,  the powerhouse in the region came out fighting. Characteristically,  they lashed out at the church leaders almost questioning their moral  credentials.
Yesterday,  Evangelical Alliance of Kenya and other Christian religious organizations united in the call for them to be included in the 'handshake'.  They argue that they represent a critical segment of society.
As expected,  the backlash was severe.  The constant criticism was on 'tithe eating',  'offering loving', 'celebrity pastors' among other epithets.
I rise to support these Christian leaders for asserting the Church's critical position in national dialogue and healing.  To those whose harsh words are directed at the church,  I believe  she welcomes the bricks and bats. After all,  Jesus said 'woe unto you if everyone  likes you'. (Luke 6:26) That's a sure sign that you are conforming to society's standards instead of God's word.
Onward African Christian soldiers march.

Feminism in Kenyan Christian political theology

We began building the concept of Christian Political theology. This concept is important because it lays the foundation for born again Christians to fully engage in politics at all levels of governance. (The assumption is that Christians still are afraid in embracing politics as part of our God given divine mandate on earth. I believe this is a hangover of 'this is not our home, we are just passing by, have nothing to do with it' philosophy, which has effectively been debunked.)

We dealt with the concept of God as the source of our political opinions and man as the object of these opinions. We did say that the welfare of man and his environment is the object of this theology.

Let us go further into the concept of man and delineate the genders. It is evident we have a lot of work to do to bring in the woman fully into the political life of Kenya. Last week, Kenya got three women governors. This was a great step forward. We would like to see a situation where women engage in competitive politics as equals with men and where their chances are equal to men. (For the sake of clarity, let us make it clear man and woman are different in terms of their sexual composition and function.) KTN ran a documentary entitled 'against the grain' where women detailed the sexually explicit harassment meted against them. It is clear that though we say we want the advancement of women, in actual fact the big men are at the center of oppressing women. Millie Odhiambo Mabona's testimony at the hands of male parliamentarians attests to this. There is a lot of cataloged testimony of women who have tried to advance in politics but they have been intimidated by the androcentric nature of our politics. (Sophia Abdi Noor's win in a strongly patristic area as Ijara shows that there is still hope for more women to be elected in other competitive seats outside of the County Women Reps.)

Christian Political ideology incorporates scriptural feminist theology. We believe that man and woman were created equal and given a divine mandate over creation equally. Sexual construction in no way is a factor for preference of the male over the female.

In fact, gender difference is another reason why women ought to be fully involved in politics. Since man (as a term for both male and female) was created in God's image, the fact that God further made a distinction between the male and female proves that the two are the fullest representation of God's image. Without a woman, the world would be dystopian. A woman in her physical and psychological makeup fully represents God's image as much as a man does in his entire construction.

To discriminate a woman because of her figure and accoutrements is to malign and dishonor the image of God. (In fact, it is an attempt to attack God.) This applies to those who issue sexually suggestive threats, intimidate women by their bigger and stronger physical stature and deride women's delicate emotional nature. All forms of sexually explicit and implicit violence against women(again Millie Adhiambo Mabona serves as a sad example) is not in any way Christian Political Theology.

At this point, congratulations are in order for the three women governors (H.E Charity, H.E Laboso and H.E Waiguru), and 22 women MP's elected to the National Assembly (begining with Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona, MP elect for Suba North) as wel as the 2 senators, Isiolo's Dulla Fatuma Adan and Nakuru's Susan Wakarura Kihika.

In Christian Political Theology, women are indispensable if we are to execute God's mandate of redemption of our political culture in Kenya.

Convergence: Thinking like the Bride of Christ

Rev 22:17: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

We are in the season of the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

We find the principle of present truth which establishes us, not historical truth.
The last name of the church is the bride. The Lord is relating with the church as a bride. In this season, we see ourselves as the bride. We must change our mindset to a relationship type of a mentality, thinking as a bride. The issue of submission will not be a problem.

Mat 9:15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 

Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son...

The kingdom of heaven is the focal point of the convergence of the bride and the spirit, speaking in unison.

Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Our greatest calling is not to do ministry but to have a relationship with the bridegroom, a love relationship.

Dimensions of thinking as a bride are:
1. Produces emotions of Jesus Christ – Embrace the revelation of Jesus Christ
2. The revelation of Jesus' commitment to us as a bridegroom.
3. Jesus requires of us to be able to whole heartedly respond to His love for us.
4. That we demonstrate our response to His will (His Word) which is obedience.
5. To get into the adventure-love to and for Christ, thereby growing in the Love
6. We learn how we abandon ourselves to Him (There is nothing like He helps those who help themselves)
7. Sacrificially love and obey Him as a Bride

Note: We have always thought of God as a man with a big club ready to snuff you out. No, we must think of Him as a loving bridegroom.

This message was preached at Life Church International, Nairobi, Kenya by Dr David Juma, Apostle and minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ