They call him Superman.
They also call him Tiger Woods in a Speedo, but I'm not sure what to do with that one.
He did amazing things. He did the impossible. (How did he win that 100 meter butterfly anyway?)
They call them the Golden Girls.
(And I don't think they mean four old ladies.)
They haven't lost a game in over a year. That makes 108 straight sets. In a row. 14 consecutive Olympic matches. Two consecutive gold medals in volleyball. No one's done that before.
Kerri said, "We felt like warriors out there."
We laughed with these heroes. We cried with them. We scared the dog cheering for them (or was that just me?). We reach higher because they reach higher.
There's something immortal about the Olympics. Or perhaps there's something truely mortal. Perhaps it's where immortal and mortal cross. It's what makes us taste what it means to be truly human, to be victorious, untainted by death, larger than life.
It brings to mind the days when their stories would've been written in the stars. (Except now they're written all over NBC and ESPN, which disappears faster than constellations. Perhaps we should bring back the heroic aspect of constellation story telling.) It reminds us that there's something great about humanity, something that images God.
It makes us long for something greater. It makes us realize that this--this corruptness and evilness and deathness--is not how it's supposed to be.
And I wonder, will there be Olympics in the new earth?
Totally...there totally will.
(:
that last question caught me off guard
I think that's an interesting question to pose. . . I wonder if there will be something similar . . . maybe with fewer commercials, at least?
On a more serious note, I really appreciate the way you've explored some of the ways that even something like watching the Olympics can influence our faith. Thought provoking stuff, Heather. Thanks!
Hey Heather,
I didn't get to watch much of them this year...bummer. I'm usually glued to the TV for them. But I love the question you pose at the end, Will there be Olympics in the new earth? What a thought. Will there even be such a thing as competition? If so, I know we'll be rooting for everyone and delighted with every win. And being in the presence of God, we'd all truly be gold winners. :-)
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