The Parable of the Marathon
How Running a Marathon Reflects the Challenges and Rewards of Living as a Missional Church
This devotion is a bit longer than usual.
During the January term of my first year in seminary, I took a class called The Missional Church. One of the assignments was to create a metaphor for the “Missional Church.”
The concept behind the Missional Church movement is a shift in how we think about doing and being. We do not merely do missions; the church, by its very existence, is God’s mission for the world. This concept is vital as we consider what it means to live as disciples in God’s Kingdom in a more holistic manner.
The Missional Church is about being the church—a concept that shifts our mindset from doing to being. This is deeply connected to the very nature of creation.
When God introduces themselves to Moses in the burning bush, Moses asks for proof that God is who they say they are. Moses asks for a name to tell the Israelites, and God responds,
“I am who I am. Thus, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14, NRSV)
In Hebrew, the name (or phrase) used is Yahweh (or YHWH). The Israelite tradition names this the Tetragrammaton, the holiest of names for God. Over generations, it has been translated as “I AM.” It encapsulates the very nature of being. God exists as this nature of being—God is. Therefore, we don’t “work” as the church; we don’t “do” church. Rather, we are the church. We claim this state of being, just as God claims us.
This seems almost unimaginable when we consider our role. We often think of church as something we do, something we “go to,” or something that involves action. However, we often neglect to consider that the church is about being, which might seem even more challenging.
As I considered a parable for this Missional Church concept, I compared it to something I know is difficult—something I have only done once in my life. The difficulty of which feels etched in my mind:
THE MARATHON
This following parable was originally written on March 9, 2012. I have made some modifications since then, as I’ve grown in my faith, yet the message remains the same: the Missional Church is difficult, but it is worth striving to embody God’s nature in our lives.
Parable Introduction
The marathon is one of the toughest sporting feats attempted by humans. So tough, only one percent of the global population can claim the title of “marathoner.” It is 26.2 miles of trials and tribulations, meant to test a person both physically and mentally. Those who complete it learn more about themselves than they ever thought possible. The training leading up to the marathon tests your body to the point of exhaustion, and without it, running a marathon is nearly impossible. The Missional Church is about being, it calls us to claim who and what we are and the work that it takes to live up to those ideals.
The Parable of the Marathon
A man was once training for a marathon. He began slowly, running a couple of miles a day at a steady pace to warm up his muscles for what was to come. He realized that baby steps were necessary. He could not just jump right into heavy, long, and fast-paced runs. Over his training, he gradually lengthened his workouts, he began to push his pace, shaving off a few seconds per mile, testing his body’s endurance. As the workouts became more taxing, and the mileage increased he began to wonder if he had taken on more than he could handle. It seemed that the goal was losing its luster, and that his dream might never be achieved. However, he persevered, hoping that his hard work would pay off in the end.
Months passed, and finally, marathon day arrived. All the miles he had run until now led to the goal of completing the 26.2 miles that lay ahead of him. The man started the race easy and steady, much like his training, as a way to get his body moving as he settled into a comfortable pace. As the race progressed, he sped up, carefully monitoring his progress and adjusting as needed to avoid exhausting all his energy too soon. The marathon proved exhausting, and the man began to feel weary, but as he had learned in training, he pushed through the pain and ignored it.
When he reached the halfway point, his body told him it was too much and needed to stop. But he pressed on, keeping the final goal in mind and refusing to give up. At mile 20, the man’s body began to fight back even more fiercely. His mind told him to stop, and his legs refused to go another step. He had hit “the Wall” that all marathoners fear—the point where the body can’t go any further, and all you want to do is stop. It’s how runners handle this moment that defines their marathon experience. While he continued at a staggered pace, his mind wrestled with the voices in his head, sifting through them until he found the small one encouraging him to keep running.
The man began to treat each mile as an accomplishment, knowing that every mile completed was a goal achieved. When he reached mile 26, he could see the finish line, but the pain he had endured made it feel distant. Finally, he crossed the finish line and threw his arms in the air in triumph. All those miles every week, those tempo runs and interval workouts that pushed his body, taught him what it means to run a marathon and made the real test one of the mind. He knew his body could finish the marathon, but he never thought his mind would let him. Overcoming that mental barrier and reaching his ultimate goal of finishing the marathon is a victory he will always cherish.
Excellent analogy!