Almost 20,000 runners competed in the 1986 New York Marathon. I don't know who won, but I do know who finished last. His name is Bob Wieland. While the winner completed the race in just over 2 hours, Bob Wieland finished in four days, two hours, forty-eight minutes, and seventeen seconds. Why is that remarkable? Because Bob ran with his arms. Seventeen years earlier while serving in Vietnam, Bob's legs were blown off in battle. So, when Bob competes, he sits on a 15 pound saddle, covers his fists with pads, and runs with his arms. But he does not quit. He is the very symbol of perseverance.

Living a Christian life can be compared to running a long-distance race like a marathon. You get the idea that the author of Hebrews was, like St. Paul, a former athlete. He used the language of track …