The Bible employed several metaphors to describe believers – soldiers, athletes, farmers, etc. There is a lesson to learn today from the standpoint of being athletes. Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand and Abbey D’Agostino of the USA both made it to the final of the 5,000-meter run in Rio. Their advancement was not due to meeting the qualifying time; they both finished last and next to last. Their inclusion in the final was because they were tripped. It was the New Zealander that fell first; then the American tripped over her and fell to the ground as well. Rather than get mad for being the architect of her fall, the American encouraged her counterpart to get on with the race. Here is Hamblin’s account of that unforgettable moment: “That girl is the Olympic spirit right there. I’ve never met her before. Like I never met this girl before. And isn’t that just so amazing? Such an amazing woman. Suddenly, there was this hand on my shoulder, like ‘Get up. We have to finish this’ and I was like ‘Yup, yup, you’re right’. This is the Olympics Games. We have to finish this.”

Believers ought to have the pilgrim spirit. We manifest the pilgrim spirit when we help a faltering brother or sister. When you pray for someone who is having a hard time with finance or family life, you demonstrate the pilgrim spirit. The pilgrim spirit is about cooperation, not competitiveness. It believes that no one can make it all alone; it is through bonding in charity that we can finish strong. Demonstrating the pilgrim spirit can be as simple as giving words of encouragement to someone. I believe this is what the writer of Hebrews is admonishing us to do. Someone’s push to the finish line may depend on that one word of encouragement from you.