Yet Another Opinion on the Olympics Debacle
On finding the blessing in the brokenness
Sister, if you find yourself disheartened by the Christianity-mocking spectacle that was the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics, and further disheartened by the divisiveness, verbal assaults (on both sides) and gaslighting that followed, I have some thoughts for you.
Some watched live, some awoke the next morning as images spread like wildfire of what appeared to be a drag-queen-laden rendition of the Last Supper. There was a golden calf and much more - even poor, misunderstood Marie Antoinette belting opera from the crook of her own elbow.
The world looked on as they intentionally merged Greek mythology and history (which they didn’t mock) with sacred Christian imagery (which they did), and then proceeded to gaslight those of us who saw it for exactly what it was.
Well (*composes self*), with that out of the way, I want to gently remind you that, although we will witness things that unsettle us in this life, we as Christians know how it all ultimately ends. Until it does, allow me to gently remind you that, unlike what the Olympics’ art director would have you believe, it was Christianity that built the West and made it beautiful and good - all for the glory of God. It’s easy to despair when we take cultural hits, but you, my dear, are a daughter of the King and you have much within your control to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness:
Be angry, but do not sin (Ephesians 4:26) - Among other inappropriate responses, we’ve seen plenty insults lobbed from our side. This is not the way. We will never draw the lost to Jesus by hurling schoolyard taunts. Righteous anger absolutely has its place, ladies, but let it fuel us to boldly do good.
Use your voice (Ephesians 5:11) - Expose evil. Whether you take to social media or write your own Substack or simply have a deep discussion within your family, use events like this to teach and reflect on what is good and true and beautiful. On the flip side, consider deeply and prayerfully what you and your family will consume. Imagine if every single Christian chose to skip the 2024 Olympics.
Create (Phillipians 4:8) - It’s so easy to consume nowadays. We can get so caught up in focusing on the problems and decline of our culture that we forget we have the power to contribute to it. I encourage you to reflect on Paul’s words here because, if you hold them in your heart, then everything you create - from a peaceful, beautiful home to a town mural to edifying words for someone (or many) in need - will brighten our world and bring glory to God. Again, imagine if every single Christian…
Share the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20) - Here’s the blessing hidden in the darkness. One of the first rules I learned in corporate communications is that, “there’s no such thing as bad PR.” Despite our visceral reactions to what we witnessed in the opening ceremony, the truth is that the thought of Christ and His last moments on earth were suddenly on everyone’s minds everywhere. And despite our visceral reactions, what the opening ceremony participants and so many others need is Jesus. While we can’t fly to France to evangelise, we can still share the gospel whenever we get the chance. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s uncomfortable, and not always received well, but it helps me to remember that it’s my job to plant the seed, nothing more. God does the heart changing.
Ladies, it can be hard to watch our country and our culture drift away from what is good and true and beautiful, but all is not lost. We must trust that God is in control of it all and, from there, we must “not become weary in doing good” as we “do all to the glory of God.”
Let’s get to work. We can begin by praying for our enemies.
Love,
Anne