Watching more than the Olympics

The Olympics: amazing. A. Mazing! So much amazement happening every day, whether it’s athletic excellence or the multiple examples of Britain being even more wonderful than usual, I’m loving it.

There are many important and serious things that can be said about the Olympics in particular and what we humans choose to care about in general, but here are three things I’ve thought about whilst watching:

1. John Piper, following C.S. Lewis and the apostle Paul, writes about seeing through what you’re watching to see what God wants to show you through it. In this case: if people will put in such efforts for temporary glory (which it is, however often the commentators talk about history being made), then how much more should Christians invest in what will last forever? Big provocation.

2. Another way to see through what’s happening struck me during the opening ceremony, which had me smiling and saying “Wow” countless times. How much more incredible, inspiring, fulfilling, mind-blowing will it be when Jesus returns to claim the earth and launch the opening ceremony for eternity?! My spine tingled, my eyes welled up a little... and Jesus will bring on a glorious sensory overload beyond all compare for all who have followed Him. That gets me excited.

3. Aren’t we humans amazing? Tiny gymnasts, massive rowers, tiny but massive weightlifters, joyful crowds, smiling volunteers, visionary opening ceremony directors... what a species we are. I don’t have the talent or dedication of the athletes competing but we are all God’s handiwork and bear the image of God, and that means we’re capable of all sorts of good. How blessed we are to have life like this.