I like the Olympics. I always have. As a five-year-old child in 1984, I was able to attend the diving event and track and field in Los Angeles. The competition and the patriotism were inspiring. I remember crying while watching the closing ceremony on T.V. because the Olympics were over.
I still look forward to watching the Olympics and rooting on the United States athletes, so on July 26th, I sat down to watch the opening ceremony in Paris, France. It was quite the spectacle. The acrobats were mesmerizing. The musical acts were all over the place, from pop to rap, heavy metal, and opera. The athlete boat parade down the Seine was different than the normal walk around the track of the stadium. There were, however, some controversial skits interspersed throughout the event. There was a skit about a ménage à trois. There were lots of men dressed as women throughout the show. The part that has made the most waves, though, was what many perceived as a drag queen reenactment of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper.”
This has led to a huge outcry by Christians in America. Many have demanded an apology. Some have vowed not to watch and called for a boycott of the games. My reaction was quite different, though. You may remember my article where I explained a saying I have about being offended. “Don’t be offended unless offense is intended.” This opening ceremony actually fits that criterion. I think they fully intended to offend Christians by mocking one of the big events in the Bible. They wanted that attention and the controversy. Here’s the thing that might surprise you. Even though it checks the boxes for being offensive, I was not offended.
Was it a good thing? Of course not. Did I freak out? Not at all. I do not expect people who reject God to respect God. I do not expect non-Christians to abide by biblical values. Quite the opposite. I expect debauchery. I expect violence. I expect hedonism. This is what the world would be like without God. Instead of complaining, we should use it as a contrast to turn people back to God. We should show it as two different paths we can take.
We are leaving a time when Christianity was the common, widely agreed upon religion, and most people in the Western world shared the same ideology and values. We got used to the expectation that others shared our values. Unfortunately, that is not the case now. We are in a time when Christianity is no longer the dominant value system. Secular leftism is the dominant value system. We are now outsiders in a pagan world.
This has actually been the norm during much of history. Christians were outsiders, not the people in control. How did Christianity grow in the first place? My guess is that a bunch of pagans were living meaningless, unhappy lives and they saw these strange Christians living joyful lives with a purpose. This is the contrast that we need to highlight today. Complaining that non-Christians are not acting like Christians is a waste of time and illogical. We should instead highlight the fact that following Jesus leads to a happier, more fulfilling life and a better society, while the alternative leads to a shallow, meaningless life and a hedonistic, indulgent society.
While this perspective is true on a large-scale, societal level, it also applies on a micro, more personal level. When somebody who is not a Christian does bad things, I am not shocked. Why would I be? They do not have the same standards as we do. It should not be surprising if somebody who rejects the Bible does something unethical in business. Their goal is not to do what is right. It is to do what will be of the most benefit to them. Christians should hold themselves to a higher standard.
Another point that I have heard Christians make is that the French would not have mocked Islam the way that they did Christianity. This is, of course, true. This is a good point to make, but not if we frame it as a complaint. Complaining doesn’t win people over. What does make Christians look good is to point out how great it is that we will not chop off your head if you try to offend us. Christianity makes better people.
Unless the world turns back to God, things are going to get worse. We are seeing things that nobody would have imagined when I watched the Olympics back in 1984. Who would have guessed back then that people would be pushing for men to be able to compete in women’s sports? Vulgarity, crime, and sexual debauchery are just the tip of the iceberg. The marginalization and persecution of Christians (and Jews) will get even worse. There will be more wars and worse atrocities. There will be more suffering.
Instead of feeling shocked and angry at the non-believers who performed this skit, I feel bad for them. If you have rejected God to the point where you will mock Him, your eternity looks pretty bleak. Instead of attacking them for showing sexualized content and debauchery during an event that many parents watched with their children, we should be talking to those parents and pointing out the alternative. This alternative would lead to the more wholesome, yet still exciting and enjoyable path that God provides. In fact, only our path will lead to true happiness.
I am still watching the Olympics, and enjoying the competition. The athletes worked hard for this chance and many of them do want to please God. The next time you see a heathen performance or display and your first instinct is to be offended, instead think to yourself, “I am sure glad I have God and am not like that.”
Steve Connally's Brain 