Tag Archives: Olympics

Why I Love the Olympics

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There’s just something special about the Olympics, isn’t there?

My love of the Olympics is two-fold.  First, I simply enjoy watching sports.  I think it brings out the competitive side of me.  While I obviously have a preference of what sports I watch (college football, college basketball, PGA majors…in that order), I can watch almost anything and enjoy it.  The only known exception is soccer…blech.

As far as Olympics sports go, I’m pretty predictable.  My favorite winter sport is figure skating, and my favorite summer sports are gymnastics and swimming (probably because I know how fast they’re swimming).

But really, the second reason is what I want to talk about.  It’s the global aspect of it: people from all countries (except for our warm-loving friends for the Winter Olympics) come together for one cause.  Of course, we need to remember that world peace isn’t possible on our own terms.  But there is something special about people from different peoples coming together…reminds me of what heaven will look like.

Now THAT’ll be a place of world peace.

Photo by Dieter Drescher

The Olympics and World Peace

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I know, I know, I’m bringing up the Olympics again today. It’s just that I watched a lot of Olympic coverage yesterday. Did you see the men’s 4 x 100 free relay yesterday? Incredible! I haven’t cheered that loud since KU won the national championship. I think I could swim 100 meters in 2 minutes at best on a good day, but Jason Lezak did it in 46 seconds. Not only have I been watching the Olympics, but I’ve also been following the growing crisis in Georgia. I can’t help but compare the two.

The modern Olympics were started to allow countries from all over to come together for sports, even if they can’t come together for any other purpose. The idea of world unity and peace can be seen throughout the Olympic games. Athletes from nations that are not particularly friendly with one another compete side-by-side for the same medals. But Russia’s continuing assault on its former territory, Georgia, is a fresh reminder that this world isn’t at peace. Neither sports nor any other cause, no matter how noble, will be able to bring us together in true harmony.

As much as you or I might like it, world peace isn’t actually humanly attainable in this fallen world. History confirms this. Competing selfish interests will continue to fuel countries to war against each other. What is needed for world peace is not a sporting event, but the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Only through the working of God is there any hope for unity among the nations.

Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy

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Another one of my favorite Christmas songs is the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. It’s a great tune, both light and substantive as only classical music can be.
I remember going to see the Nutcracker performed as a child. I loved it. I’ve always enjoyed plays and ballet (singular, because I think this is the only one I’ve been to).
A little known fact is that I actually took ballet class for 2 years in middle school. Yeah, I know that is surprising as I have neither the body type nor the classic femininity and poise associated with the dance. Really, it was just a fun form of exercise to take the place of gymnastics. I’ve never excelled at any sport, or in this case dance, that I tried: soccer, gymnastics, basketball, ballet, or tennis. Though that didn’t stop me from dreaming of representing America in the 1996 or 2000 Olympics!
What is something that you wished you had excelled at when you were a kid? Is there something you had aspirations of being but not the abilities?
12 Days of Christmas, Day 3