Back in July, I watched the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremonies, as did the other 28.6 million people around the world. As much as I initially thought I wouldn’t even bother to comment, not willing to give the spectacle any additional bites of data in the cyberspace, the disturbing scenes keep replaying in my mind. And as the upset messages of my friends flood my social media feed, I wonder about the entire program.
What was the purpose of this obscene production, aside from completely offending the 2.6 billion Christians in the world? I’m truly baffled that such a vibrant community, priding itself on inclusivity and equality, would single out one religion and compose an entire program with the intent of mocking the beliefs of almost 30% of the world’s population.
Looking for some sense in the current hijacking of an ideal, a quick search affords me yet another irony:
The IOC adopted these Latin words: “Citius, altius, forties” as the official motto of the Games in 1894. They mean: “Faster, higher, stronger”. The person who coined this term was Henri Didon, a French Dominican Preacher.
I shake my head and wonder how did the July 26th display uphold any of these values? Better yet, how did these scenes, portrayed by the proponents of inclusivity, made any of the athletes of Christian faith feel?
This callous, discriminatory, and dare I say hateful presentation, is a permanent stain on this amazing global event.
I admire the athletes who dedicate years of training and discipline to their Olympic dreams. Their perseverance, mental and physical strength serves as inspiration to many, but especially to the young generation.
Many an athlete openly shares his or her struggles to achieve this ultimate goal in the world of sports, to encourage and motivate children to reach for their dreams. I feel for every parent that questions their decision to allow their children to watch the grotesque performance created to celebrate the best of the best. In my humble opinion, the Paris presentation had nothing to do with sports.
Yet, as a believer, I know that our God is bigger than this. When I step back and look at the entire evening, I marvel at the providence of God in this situation.
As the boats floated down the Seine River, introducing the Olympians to the world, I could not help myself but think of the most famous barge of all. Noah built it, in times of sin and corruption, so great, the God decided to cleanse the world. I recall a sermon, heard many years ago, when the preacher explained that until the day God shut the ark, it had not rained. Ever.
I think back to the drenched streets of Paris and can’t help but see the symbolism in it. As the sheets of rain washed the dirt off the streets, flushing the debris into the Paris sewer system, I wondered about the masked figures that looked more like characters from Assassin’s Creede than Olympians.
Could God have used the choreographers of this event to bring home a message straight out of Revelations to one of the larges audiences in the world?
Is it at all possible that the people responsible for the program served a much higher purpose, failing to understand that the riders, the golden calf, the angel of doom whose wings were so prominently displayed against the Eiffel Tower may convey a much deeper message?
Did they unknowingly present a contrast that was there to see, for all those who chose to understand the total depth of the meaning of our ancient holy scriptures?
As the world celebrates the amazing achievements of our best athletes, let’s not forget what truly matters to our Lord. His creation, the people of this world He had created in His image. God uses for good that what was meant for evil.
And as we admire the feats of our best men and women, competing peacefully, under the banner of acceptance, respect and fairness, let us pray that the world will understand the true significance of the offensive display that opened this marvellous event.
Let us cheer on the athletes, at the same time as we hold our breath in anticipation of August 11th, as these games close. I wonder which religion will be insulted next, but somehow, I think that there will be no holy prophet or a giant sculpture of a cross-legged man mocked the way Jesus Christ was on July 26th. Yet, let us all remember the words of our Creator:
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh, will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit, will reap eternal life.
About the author...
Helena Smrcek, a journalist, author, and screenplay writer, believes in the power of a well-told story. Her readers can expect a captivating page-turner, filled with thrilling suspense, and heartwarming romance.
She started in publishing as a high school student, freelancing for Mississauga News. Her journalism carrier took off in 1999. Within three years Helena accumulated over 100 by-lines and interviewed Ann Graham Lotz, Carol Lewis, Cec Murphey, Kelita, and others. Her stories, many of them covers, have been published in Canada, the USA, Bermuda, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2002 she accepted a position at Listen Up TV, a current affairs program.
Helena became a founding member of Write!Canada, and The Word Guild, a Canadian national association of writers and editors. She is a graduate of Jerry Jenkin’s Craftsman Class, Act One, Donald Maass’ Fire in Fiction, Writer’s Police Academy, and several mentoring programs.
She regularly attends writers’ conferences and is a past or current member of such organizations as Word Weavers, American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, Toast Masters International, Boni, The Writer’s Guild, and others. Helena loves to participate in NaNoWriMo and hosts a writers’ group.
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