People of faith have many opportunities to demonstrate how that faith leads and guides them. As a star athlete recognizes where their gifts and talents come from on a platform for all to see, we can also be faithful in our normal daily interactions with others, demonstrating grace—especially when we disagree—and showing kindness, understanding, and humility, all which reflect the love of Christ in our lives.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, an American hurdler and sprinter, competes in the 400 meter hurdles. She is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion with the Games record, and 2022 World champion with a world record time of 50.68 seconds. It takes work to be the kind of athlete Sydney has become, but she always acknowledges the One who gave her the talent and the strength to persevere in her sport. Eugene Cho is a pastor, author, and the president of Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization that is committed to ending hunger. Many years ago, while pastoring a church, Eugene noticed a tension that was sweeping through his congregation—and it involved groups of people who disagreed strongly over faith and politics. Over time, he began to look at these situations, drawing parallels from the life of Jesus and how He handled those who disagreed with Him and His work.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Emily Chang

Upcoming interview: Michael Hyancinthe

Thank you to our sponsor: www.give.cru.org

Jesus Calling for Easter

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

2020 Tokyo Olympic champion

Doha World Championships in 2019

Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith

Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk

Interview Quotes:

“God really helped to rework my mind and my heart to truly put Him on the throne of my life. And because of that, I was able to reprioritize how I viewed track and field and how I prepared for races, how I viewed wins versus losses.” - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

“I can show up to the track every day and understand that this is a gift He's given me that win, lose, or draw, it's an opportunity to glorify Him, and my value is already secure in Christ.” - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

“I want to make sure that I'm keeping company with people that are not just people that will agree with everything that I will say, that are willing to challenge me, but also making sure that I'm rooted and guided in the gospel through Jesus Christ.” - Eugene Cho

“I just think it's really important that we be wise, cautious, careful not to dehumanize those that we disagree with, because in our self-righteousness, we can become the very things that we criticize in others and not even know it.” - Eugene Cho

“We have to understand that the ultimate call for us as followers of Jesus is not to be successful. It's not to be outrageous. It's not to be the loudest. It's not to be the one that's most heard, but the one that's rooted in Christ, who seeks to be faithful, who walks with integrity, who seeks to love like Jesus loved, including making sure that we're mindful of the lessons of the Good Samaritan.” - Eugene Cho

“I think it's so important that we understand that everything that we do as followers of Christ must be rooted in this commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. That’s our anchor and our foundation.” - Eugene Cho

“Maybe part of the reason why I have always appreciated the invitation to spend time in God's Word on a regular basis is so that as we go about doing this work, we don't lose ourselves in the blustery winds of our culture and times.” - Eugene Cho