As we enter into the month of August, many of our local schools are preparing for the beginning of the Fall sports and music seasons. It is always an exciting time listening to the Brandon Valley band strike up the instruments, which seems to be all day long, as they strenuously prepare for another successful marching band season. We see the football players that compete at the high school level as well as younger ages, getting their football equipment to start the seasons. The volleyball players and cross country runners are participating in camps and early morning runs prior to the July and August heat. I remember as a young boy in Mitchell, going to the Middle School my seventh-grade year and receiving those football pads for tackle football. I’m probably dating myself, but we had to snap all the pads into the pants we received. I had no idea where the pads were supposed to be placed and more than likely had them misplaced. What stands out most though is trying on the helmets. Once the coach found a helmet he thought fit, he slapped his hand (I think as hard as he could) on the top of the helmet, while it was on my head. I wondered and still do, was that necessary? It left me with a huge headache! That probably should have been my clue that football was not my sport.
Not only do these local activities begin with the start of the school year, but we are also very engaged this year in the 2024 Olympics. Although for some of us the opening ceremony was disappointing, it shouldn’t dampen what the Olympic Games truly desire to bring to our country and to the world community. It is the unity and the celebration of incredible athletes who sacrifice so much for what is often their one shot to compete in the Olympic Games. I really find a couple of things fascinating about the Olympics. The first being that in most situations, at the end of the race or competition, the far majority of the athletes win or lose with tremendous grace by congratulating the winners who are on Cloud 9 and consoling the losers. Making it to the Olympic Games is a great feat, but it is still a competition. Everyone desires that gold medal, but not everyone can be victorious. The grace of the winners and losers, well at least what they show on TV anyway, is something that brings out that unity among the competitors. I loved watching the men’s gymnastics team win the bronze medal. They were so excited that they got third place – it seemed as if they got the gold!
The other aspect of the 2024 Olympics and a bedrock of these games over the years is the world unity. In the Bible, Jesus speaks of the importance of unity among all peoples in the Gospel of John 17:21 where He prays: “that they may all be one.”
As we watch the Olympics you see Christians congratulating or cheering for Muslims – Italians and Iranians. You see athletes from Communist nations high-fiving athletes from Democracies – Russians and Americans. You see athletes from nations standing respectfully as the national anthem is played for a nation their country is currently at war with. In this moment, unity prevails. I didn’t watch the mixed doubles table tennis competition. I’m sure it was not even televised, but the news ran a story of the three teams that made the podium – China (gold), North Korea (silver) and South Korea (bronze). China has been a tremendous ally to North Korea, which technically is still at war with South Korea. These six competitors stood shoulder to shoulder as they received their medals. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the North and South Korean athletes stood together for a selfie. Where does this ever happen? At the Olympic Games. Jesus prays “that we may all be one” not simply every four years at the Summer Olympic Games but in the ways we live in our local community and compete on our own sport fields and auditoriums. Unity always wins!
