Bishop Barron says famous ‘Chariots of Fire’ Olympian’s skills were ‘something beautiful’, gave ‘glory to God'

Bishop Robert Barron says "Chariots of Fire" Olympian Eric Liddell is a prime example of one's athleticism excellence being pursued for the glory of God.

Bishop Robert Barron offered the example of Scottish Olympian Eric Liddell as proof that achieving athletic excellence should be about ultimately giving glory to God.

In light of the ongoing Paris Summer Olympics, Barron spoke to Fox News Digital about Liddell, the Scottish gold medalist whose choice to forego a surefire gold medal win in honor of the Sabbath – and his subsequent gold medal win in the 400-meter race in the 1924 games – was immortalized in the movie "Chariots of Fire." 

The bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota emphasized that Liddell believed his running ability was something God reveled in, and agreed, saying that athletic excellence is beautiful and something God delights in.

"So, something like running fast. You say, ‘Well, OK, it's not going to cure cancer. It's not going to, you know, feed the starving millions, but it's excellence. It's something beautiful. It means he's fully alive and that gives pleasure to God," the bishop told Fox last week.

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Bishop Robert Barron talked about how famous Scottish Olympian Eric Liddell used his running ability to give glory to God. (Fox News Digital | Warner Brothers, Contributor)

Liddell’s powerful story in the 1924 Olympic Games, also held in Paris that year, is memorable not only because of his supreme running ability, but because of how he displayed his deep Christian faith. Thanks to his talent, Liddell was considered a shoo-in for the gold medal in the 100-meter dash but declined to