The Track & Field events at the Summer Olympics are a highlight for many, but the Summer Games of 2021 in Tokyo were a challenge due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without spectators and with limited support staff, athletes drew close to one another. In a semifinal heat for the men’s 800m run, Isaiah Jewett of the United States and Nijel Amos of Botswana somehow fell, their legs and feet entangled. Knowing they had little chance to qualify for the finals, they chose instead to help one another off the track and over the finish line. Said Jewett, “Regardless of how mad you are, you have to be a hero at the end of the day. … Because that’s what heroes do, they show their humanity through who they are and show they’re good people” (Pat Graham, “No Hard Feelings: Amos and Jewett Tangle, Finish Together,” AP News, August 1, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-track-and-field-isaiah-jewett-nijel-amos-44515fecddf8c12d9f008b78414a894c). It’s what fellow believers do too. We help one another on hard journeys and give thanks for each other along the way.
