Opening Ceremony

Did you watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony Friday night? If you did, you were in good company—nearly 41 million Americans tuned in. What draws us to such spectacles that are neither sport, nor narrative (at least not ostensibly), nor real “news.” Surely the Opening Ceremony was about all of these things, just as it was about culture, geopolitics, and national pride. But what made this rather convoluted spectacle such drama to the point of a lump rising in my throat several times (I’m ashamed as I write this!)?

My nephew, who is visiting us, has asked several dozen times over the last couple of days: “Why are the Else’s so into the Olympics?” The answers we’ve given to him typically sound like this: “It is a commentary on the triumph of the human spirit!” “It is real-life drama!” “It is the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat!” “It is about world peace!”

First of all, you must know that all of these answers are given “tongue-in-cheek.” Each is true, to an extent, but seem rather like shallow platitudes than genuine reasons for our great interest in the Olympic games.

I’m not sure why I’m prattling on about the Games, other than to figure out the attraction myself. A couple of observations, however, came to me as I watched the Opening Ceremony: the tree atop the hill (the “tree of life”?); each country planting their flag at the hill (“many nations shall come”); the Olympic torch the ultimate focus (“the Lord God will be their light”). Read Revelation 22:1-5 and Micah 4:2. A cynical part of me believes that Danny Boyle (the director) was using Biblical imagery to forward a very humanistic utopian vision (which is what the Olympics are supposed to represent). On a deeper level, I believe that, intentional or not, the drama of the spectacle emerged out of our deepest longing for that which is prophesied in Revelation and Micah—all people coming to God’s holy mountain to learn and to worship from the LORD our God. So, was the Opening Ceremony a worship service? Maybe. Maybe not. But to those with eyes to see and ears to hear, it was indeed the cry of the nations for the Living God to reign in majesty.