The 2021 Olympic Games
This week and next, the summer Olympic games are being held in Tokyo, Japan.
There was great fanfare the night of the opening ceremony as the host country welcomed the athletes from around the world. The raising of the Olympic flag, the singing of the Olympic hymn, and the lighting of the Olympic flame stirred the emotions.
As the competition began, the tension and the drama heightened. Personal profiles of the participants gave viewers a chance to get to know the athletes. Long-time rivalries between individuals and countries were revealed in beautifully filmed and edited highlight reels taking us up close and personal.
Fancy camera work made it possible for the audience to experience the competitors’ thrill of victory or the agony of their defeat.
When my wife, Diane, was a young girl, she created a scrapbook to celebrate the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Years later, she had a personal connection to the games. She was teaching at Whittier Christian High School when one of her students, Jenna Leigh Johnson, competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Diane attended one of her semi-final swimming heats. Jenna went on to win two gold medals for her participation in the 4×100 meter Freestyle Relay and the 4×100 meter Medley Relay, and a silver medal in the 100 meter Butterfly.
I urge you to reflect the next few weeks as the spectacle of the Olympics unfolds. Think about athletic completion, and remember what the Apostle Paul said about runners running the race in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV):
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Wherever you are on your faith journey: Keep fit! Don’t give up!
Closing ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday, August 8th. My wife and I plan to watch.
Later this summer, stay tuned for more athletic competition from Tokyo as televised coverage of the Paralympic Games begins August 24th. Those games end September 5th.
Blessings to you and yours,
Dennis C.
Please Join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.
