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Welcome to Spotlight, I'm Ruby Jones
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And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
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Today's Spotlight is on Jim MacLaren. Jim was a skilled sports player and actor, until an accident changed his life. And then, another event changed his life completely again. Jim had to face the question "What defines a person's life and worth?"
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When Jim MacLaren was a boy, he loved playing sports. He went to a school where the teachers and students loved sports. And Jim was one of the best athletes at the school. But Jim was also very skilled in his school work. When he finished school, he attended Yale University. There, he played the sports of American football and lacrosse.
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At Yale, Jim studied acting and theatre. When his time at the university was over, he trained at the Square Theatre School in New York City. One night he left the school on his motorcycle. As he was riding through the city, a large city bus came toward him at high speed. Jim did not have time to react. The bus weighed over eighteen hundred [1,800] kilograms. It crashed into Jim's body.
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An ambulance hurried Jim to the hospital. When Jim arrived at the hospital, doctors believed he would die. But after eighteen hours of surgery, they were able to save his life. Sadly, to save him, the doctors had to cut off Jim's left leg below the knee. Jim was in a coma for thirteen days. When he awoke, the doctors told Jim that there was no medical explanation as to how he was still alive.
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Jim worked hard trying to recover from his injuries. He did not want to give up. After months of work, Jim was able to walk with the help of a man-made leg, a prosthetic. Jim did not want his disability to stop him from doing the things he wanted to do. He returned to Yale to study at the school of acting. He got work acting on a television show. But Jim wanted to continue playing sports too. And soon, he discovered triathlon races. These races involve swimming, bicycling, and running. Jim decided that he was going to compete in a triathlon.
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After months of training, Jim competed in a triathlon. He did not try to compete against other people. He just wanted to race against himself. Jim competed in many races and continued to improve. He started to set record race times for disabled athletes. He competed in some of the most difficult races. And he finished races ahead of eighty percent of able-bodied racers. He became a hero for disabled athletes. He spoke at events and gave hope to many people who suffered from physical disabilities.
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But his life changed again during one triathlon race in 1993. Jim was riding in the bicycle part of the race. As he rode, a traffic manager misjudged Jim's distance. The traffic manager let a large vehicle cross the race path. But the driver did not see Jim. Jim described the event.
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"About a couple miles into the race, I hear people cheering, and then I understand that they are shouting. And quickly I look over and there is the front of a black van coming straight into me. And I thought "Just move one pedal faster and I will beat him across the road." So I moved one pedal faster, and then I heard the vehicle move faster and not stop. The next thing I knew I woke up in the hospital."
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The doctors told Jim that the accident had made him a quadriplegic. They said he would never move below his chest ever again. He was paralyzed. Jim felt hopeless. He was a talented athlete, but that was now all over. Jim thought about competing someday in a wheelchair but he was unsure about his future.
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Jim's injuries did not completely paralyze him. Jim worked very hard trying to recover. After some time, he was able to move his arms and legs a little bit. But it was not Jim's physical recovery that was his greatest victory. Jim found a new purpose for his life. He did not want to be defined by his body. He tried to see his injuries as a gift. He saw them as a way to reach and encourage others.
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Jim even created a group to help other people facing difficult times. The group is called the "Choose Living Foundation." The group helps many different people around the world. Jim wanted to give hope to people who do not have any. He wanted them to know that no matter what happens in life, there is always something to live for.
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Jim continued speaking to groups of people. But he gave a new kind of encouragement. Instead of speaking about beating and overcoming physical disability, Jim talked about how we are not defined by our bodies but by who we are. Jim says of himself,
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"I am not my body. I am a man, and I am alive. As alive as anyone who is jamming a basketball, scoring a touchdown or hugging their child."
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Most people judge their worth through what they can do - through their abilities. But Jim MacClaren tells people that what we can do is less important than who we are. This is a belief that is important to Christians too.
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For thousands of years, God had rules for his followers. Some rules limited who could enter the temple. Other rules decided which people were spiritually clean and unclean. But when Jesus came to the earth, he changed things. He talked to all kinds of people. He touched clean and unclean people.
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Jesus came to the earth to set people free from the old laws. He taught that a person's worth was not in following laws correctly. It was in their relationship with God. Jesus was not concerned with what people looked like, or what they could do. His love and forgiveness are for all people!
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Jesus taught that, because of this, no matter what happens in life, we can find joy. Through good times and bad times, God is always with us. And whatever happens, God will be there to help us.
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Jim MacLaren learned that his body did not define him. And he decided to choose life, every day, even through difficult times. This is an important lesson for all of us.
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