His name was Gustaf Hakansson, but in Sweden he’s better known as “The Steel Grandpa,” a named he earned in 1951 when, at the age of 67, he stunned his skeptics by winning a 1,000-mile bike race in Sweden.
Well, technically speaking, he didn’t really win it because he wasn’t even allowed to enter, his application having been rejected by the race officials who deemed him too old for such a demanding event. But that didn’t stop him from showing up at the starting line on race day with his flowing white beard, his old roadster bike, and a bib he’d made for himself sporting his self-assigned number: zero.
He also “cheated” (if you can say that of someone who wasn’t officially in the race to begin with), since he had a light on his bike that enabled him to keep riding at night while the other competitors slept, as the official rules required them to do.
Nevertheless, by the time he crossed the finish line – over 100 miles ahead of his closest rival! – he had become a living legend, declaring to the world that youth is no match for a determined and well-prepared old man whose time has come.
Nearly 2,000 years earlier, an elderly man named Simeon made an even more powerful statement. A faithful Jew and resident of Jerusalem, he had long been waiting and praying for the promised Savior who would redeem not only Israel, but the whole world from its errant ways.
Then one day, he sensed the Holy Spirit leading him to the Temple in Jerusalem where he met a young Jewish couple who had brought their 8-day-old baby boy to the Temple to have him dedicated to the Lord. And suddenly Simeon knew it was HIS time.
Walking up toward the unsuspecting couple, he took the infant Jesus in his arms and, moved by the Spirit, boldly proclaimed anyone who would listen that this child was indeed the one who would redeem Israel and ALL of us from our sins. (Luke 2:22-35)
Now, the question is: are WE listening, and will we let Him be OUR Savior?
PRAYER:
Loving God, sometimes the most powerful truths can come in the most surprising of ways… like a wrinkled old man on a bike or an ancient elder showing up when least expected. This Christmas season, help us to be open to Your truth, however You choose to reveal it, that we may joyfully proclaim with Simeon, “…my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen
Dave Marty is a retired pastor who lives with his wife, Mary, in Brownsburg, Indiana. They have two beautiful daughters, two great sons-in-law, and two creative teenage grandchildren. In addition to cycling (including unicycling), Dave also enjoys gardening, Scrabble, hosting Holy Land tours with Mary, and tutoring kindergarteners at a nearby school