In the 2016 Rio Olympics, two athletes in the 5,000-meter race caught the world’s attention. About 3,200 meters into the race, New Zealander Nikki Hamblin and American Abbey D’Agostino collided and fell. Abbey was quickly up on her feet, but stopped to help Nikki. Moments after the two athletes had started running again, Abbey began faltering, her right leg injured as a result of the fall. It was now Nikki’s turn to stop and encourage her fellow athlete to finish the race. When Abbey eventually stumbled across the finish line, Nikki was waiting to embrace her. What a beautiful picture of mutual encouragement!

在2016年里约奥运5,000公尺的赛跑中，有两位运动员吸引了全世界的目光。比赛进行到大约3,200公尺，纽西兰选手妮基．汉布林（Nikki Hamblin）与美国选手艾比．达戈斯蒂诺（Abbey D’Agostino）碰撞跌倒。艾比虽然很快就站起来，但她却停下脚步扶起妮基。这两名跑者重新起跑不久之后，艾比就因为右脚在跌倒时受伤，而一拐一拐地前进。这时候，换成妮基停了下来，鼓励她的伙伴完成赛跑。当艾比终于蹒跚地跨过终点线时，妮基在那里等着拥抱她。如此互相鼓舞的画面，多么美好！

It reminds me of a passage in the Bible: “Two are better than one . . . . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (Eccl. 4:9–10). As runners in a spiritual race, we need one another—perhaps even more so, for we are not racing in competition with each other but as members of the same team. There’ll be moments where we falter and need someone to pick us up; at other times, someone may need our encouragement through our prayers or presence.

这件事让我想起圣经中的一节经文：“两个人总比一个人好，……若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了！”（传道书4章9-10节）我们就好比参加属灵赛跑的选手，我们需要彼此，也许还远胜于此，因为我们并不是互相竞争的对手，而是隶属同一队伍的成员。有时是我们跌倒，需要同伴扶持；有时是藉由我们的代祷或陪伴，让同伴得到鼓励。

The spiritual race is not to be run alone. Is God leading you to be a Nikki or Abbey in someone’s life? Respond to His prompting today, and let’s finish the race!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12New International Version (NIV)

9 Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.