Can Anything Good Come from the Opening Ceremonies?
Are We Beauty Chasers or Angry Accusers?
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out all the God-flavors of this earth. . . You’re here to be light, bringing out the God colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.” (Matthew 5:13, 14 The Message)
When Nathanael heard the Messiah hailed from Nazareth he didn’t believe it. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” he asked Philip. In Nathanael’s mind there was absolutely no way God would allow anything as wonderful as the Messiah to come from such a horrid place. Nathanael was not looking for beauty. Nathanael was not expecting glory. Nathanael’s mind was already made up: Nazareth was a nothing town and the last place God would rear such a magnificent, powerful King.
And Nathanael was wrong. From the last place he expected, God the Father brought about the most important human to walk the earth. Beauty emerged from the insignificant. Glory shown from a desert place. Good, indeed, came from Nazareth. The “goodest” of good there is.
Nathanael wasn’t looking for, or expecting beauty. Had Philip not pressed, he would have missed it.
Friday evening, during the 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, my social media accounts were blowing up with outrage over the supposed mocking Paris and the Olympics Committee were making against Jesus and Christianity. I don’t have to rehash it all here. You’ve seen it, heard it, read about it, and moved on by now (probably). The Christians who posted on Friday night were slinging nothing but hate and vitriol and anger and fury towards the organizers of the ceremonies. Calls for boycotting the Olympics were rampant.
As of writing, the debate continues as to what was actually happening and what it all represented. Blah. Blah. Blah. My purpose in writing here is not to tease out the possible implications and what the scenes everyone is talking about meant. That’s not my job and, honestly, I don’t care. (On a related but different note, I watched the ceremonies in prime time on NBC. Had I not checked my social media accounts, I would have never known any of it happened. NBC did not air the controversial parts people were discussing at that time. Yet another reason I should probably stop spending any time on social media. But I digress. . .)
My purpose here is to plead with fellow Christians to look for beauty. Search for glory. Expect goodness. If Jesus stepped out of the tomb 2,000 years ago and declared that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him - then it might be possible that He is working in the world right now. To be sure, we won’t realize it’s fullness until His bodily return. And to be sure, we shouldn’t bury our heads in the sand when evil is present.
But. . .
Perhaps instead of being so quick to blame unbelievers for acting like unbelievers and assuming we know the Olympics Committee is out to get Christians - why can’t we call out what is good and true and beautiful? Let’s face it, fellow Christians: if I were a non-Christian and I scrolled social media last Friday and Saturday, the LAST thing I would want to do is become a follower of Jesus. Their take-away would be that all we do is attack people and boycott stuff. Again - I am not saying we put our head in the sand and be purposefully oblivious to evil in the world. I’m not. There is a time and place for it. What I am suggesting is that it not be the first thing we assume or post or talk about or grab a hold of when there is so much other going on. In other words, let’s not be like Nathanael who had his mind made up that nothing good could come from Nazareth. Remember - he was wrong.
Can anything good come from the Opening Ceremonies? You tell me.
How about the basic, but tremendous fact that Paris is a gorgeous and beautiful city?
How about the fact that almost every nationality on the planet is in one place for over two weeks? (“Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.”)
How about the fact that every night we get to be challenged to pursue our relationship with Jesus with the same vigor these athletes pursue a gold medal?
Or what about the fact that God has called out and sent dozens of missionaries to proclaim the gospel while millions of visitors descend upon Paris? (Go here for another story.)
How about the fact that God has raised up particular Christian Olympians who are using their gifts and talents to proclaim the gospel while in Paris?
And how about the reality that God loves every single human being who is in Paris for the Olympics and created them for a relationship with Himself?
And if that’s not enough for you - how about the fact that, for at least a few moments, our attention is being drawn away from the Presidential race? (grin)
Not to mention sportsmanship, discipline, remarkable human ability, teamwork, humility, familial love and support, etc. I could go on and on. You get the point (hopefully).
We believe Jesus is alive. We believe His Holy Spirit is active in the world. We believe the kingdom of heaven is quietly, discreetly, yet powerfully manifesting. Let’s be the first to notice. The first to call it out. The first to bring out the God-flavors. The first to recognize and point out the God colors shining in the world. If we are going to be so sure about anything, let’s be sure of the loving reign of Christ Jesus in the world. Good and beautiful things do indeed come from Nazareth (and Paris).