Nearly 81 years ago, Scotsman Eric Liddell refused to run a heat in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris because the race was scheduled on a Sunday, which he understood from his faith to be a violation of the Sabbath.

Liddell’s dilemma, depicted in the Oscar-winning 1981 film “Chariots of Fire,” resulted in an extraordinary change in Liddell’s participation at the 1924 Olympics. He would not run the 100-meter race on Sunday, but he would instead run the 400-meter race that Friday — a race for which he was not well-trained.

When Liddell went to the starting blocks in the 400 meters, a masseur for the American Olympic team slipped him a piece of paper on which was written a quote from 1 Samuel 2:30: “Those who honor me I will honor.” So inspired, Liddell won the race, breaking the existing Olympic and World records.

Liddell spurned all post-Olympic fame and fortune, instead opting for missionary work in China. He was imprisoned by the Japanese when they invaded the area of China in which Liddell was working. He died of a brain tumor five months before the end of World War II at the age of 43.

You may recall much of this inspiring story. But I wonder if the likes of Eric Liddell have run their race in American culture.

Too often today, Christian athletes must choose between attending worship or an athletic competition. And Christian parents of children in organized sports find themselves in the rather untenable and immensely difficult position of making that decision for their children.

I recall growing up in a community (not much different from Effingham County) where there was never practice on Wednesday evenings or any form of athletic event Sunday mornings (the time the vast majority of churches worship). Wednesday nights were set aside for meetings or special programs at church, and Sunday morning competition amounted to who could get to the restaurant first after worship service.

Even in high-level wrestling competitions, we would start Friday afternoon and end Saturday night. That’s not the case today, and because of that Christian parents have a dilemma to struggle with that previous generations have not encountered.

I understand this dilemma well. You see, I am one of those parents. So, I do not just sympathize with Christian parents with children in sports; I empathize with them. I share their struggle.

If I consented, my son (and his older siblings before him) could compete in his chosen sports every single Sunday of the year. No question about it.

And the argument that my son should be allowed to miss church so he can reach his potential in an endeavor that builds character and personal fortitude is not lost on me. My wife and I both appreciate that reality. We also don’t want our son to resent us or our church for limiting his involvement in something he loves.

So, we recognize that there is some benefit to not limiting sports participation, and allowing our son to compete on Sunday.

But I don’t consent to my son being gone every Sunday. Why? Because he needs church more than he needs to score a goal or lift a weight. Because his eternal destiny has nothing at all to do with how many tournaments he wins. Because in the end, my role as parent is to guide him in his spiritual walk with Christ, not his athletic walk with Coach.

Still, I struggle. And I am left wondering.

I wonder why sports organization must have competitions Sunday mornings. It is now a given that a weekend tournament will take place Saturday and Sunday — even for young children — and by Sunday, I mean Sunday morning.

I struggle, and I wonder how things have changed such that many parents — good Christian parents I have spoken with over the past decade plus — find themselves in this position. Why can’t sports organizations recognize that countless Americans attend church Sunday morning, and honor that by accommodating such a schedule?

Why can’t tournaments take place Fridays and Saturdays instead of Saturdays and Sundays? Why can’t runs and triathlons be on Saturday rather than Sunday, which they often are?

I know, I know, that would be a kind of breach of the “separation of church and state.” Puh-leaze. Don’t get me started.

I wonder what would happen if teams just didn’t play Sundays. I mean, if they just didn’t enter the tournament, if they simply refused to play; if runners just didn’t enter Sunday morning races. That would happen if enough of the players expressed their commitment to attending church or, as was the case with Eric Liddell, simply honoring the Sabbath.

Lastly, I wonder if my policy of allowing my son to miss church only on rare occasions for a sport is a bad policy or a sound policy. I just don’t know. So, I struggle.

One thing’s for sure: Eric Liddell has run his race, and we are far behind.

The Rev. Dr. Bob LeFavi is a member of the Society of Ordained Scientists.