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A Christian Response to 2024 Olympics

3/16/2025

This is an address to Christians, and an apology to those with other beliefs and worldviews for the representation Christian’s had through the Olympics 2024.

Representation is a powerful thing. It is when one thing symbolizes another, sometimes with a specific angle of meaning. The opening ceremonies of the Olympics always has representations of what the games mean. In Paris 2024, they had many powerful representations of Paris and their history of conflict, struggle, and unity with 12 tableaus that had meaning to the nation and the world.

Every nation has their story and their stories make up stereotypes, Thomas Jolly, as the artistic director of the ceremonies, said “we’re going to play with all those cliches, but we’re also going to challenge them” (Nouvain, 2024). He wanted to show the world what France is really like. Sure we have our stereotypes and they can be correct representations in some way, but they are usually not the full picture. So Jolly sought to use and challenge them.

In the eighth tableau, Jolly shows the significant festivities France enjoys. France is known for wine and fashion and Jolly had a fashion show display this with a blue man on a silver platter with grapes representing the greek god Dionysus, the god of wine and pleasure appear at the end. “Why is he there?” Goodfellow quotes Jolly. “First and foremost because he is the god of celebration in Greek mythology and the tableau is called ‘Festival.’”

Loic Padovani writes, “…he [Jolly] reinterprets the areas in which the county shines around the world to shape it in his own way.” He is looking at France and what they are known for, using the cliches the world knows and what the Olympics are. The Olympics originated in Greece and Jolly is “‘keen on the Greeks,’ and Jolly said he would include reference to Ancient Greek mythology in the Ceremony” (Izzy, 2024).

A specific word that catches my eye in these quotes is when Padovani says “reinterprets.” Christians talk about interpretation all the time as we hold the ancient Bible as the Word of God. You could find many interpretations on one passage among Christians. Each one having arguments for each interpretation (I am not talking about contradictions). But we have become accustom to interpreting passages how we want and feel while reading it. We forget to do more research, maybe because that takes time and effort we don’t have when it isn’t our job. An example of research is to look into the author’s intent. That is, what is the author trying to get across when they wrote to the specific people within their context. My point is that when Christian’s watched the opening ceremonies they interpreted the runway fashion show as the “last supper” painting by Leonardo DaVinci.

The reason they come to this interpretation is because they saw a line of people standing on either side of a central person with what looked like a table, which ended up being a display for Dionysus. But as the event continued to unfold, you saw more people on the other side of the table. Then more, the table was actually a runway for the fashion show and the one person standing in the centre was the DJ, Barbara Butch, for the show. She represented Apollo, “In a now-inaccessible Instagram story, Butch said she was the Greek God of the Sun, Apollo, and references Jan van Bijlert’s painting “the feast of the God” (Izzy, 2024).

Another example was in the ninth Tableau when a rider and his metal horse gallops across the Seine. Later he comes in on land riding a real white horse. Some Christians looked at this and saw the pale horse with the rider named death from Revelation 6. I found this interpretation quite ridiculous because the announcers of the opening ceremonies explicitly told the viewers that the horse represented peace and the idea of the whole ceremonies was “to create a ceremony that heals and a ceremony that reconciles, but also … that reaffirms the values which are those of our Republic of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, and absolutely not to mock anyone.” With the war going on and other controversial fights around the world, Jolly wanted to make peace using the Olympics. People from around the world come and watch these games and he used it for the purpose of attempting reconciliation and peace.

These are the representation they wanted from the performance in the open ceremonies and we do not get the right to reinterpret it just because we see something else. As humans, we are influenced by what we read, hear, believe and think about. So when two people look at the same thing their minds can interpret from their library within their brains. What our responsibility is, however, is to insure we know the meaning of the author, then we can engage properly and accurately.

Furthermore, as Christians, we know the rest of the world (as any relationship of any religion to the rest of the world) believes and values different things. To be offended when the rest of the world does something that does not line up with the way we believe and think, is absurd. Especially when the intent was not what we interpreted.

To the Christian, we have different views within this world and look towards the upwards call of God the Father in Jesus Christ (Phil 3:14). We have citizenship in heaven (Phil 3:20) as we live on earth and need not ultimately worry about what goes on of those who value the earthly worldviews. We are to be a beacon of how life looks under God, not expecting the world to live under God as we ought. engaging them with challenging love and comforting grace.

Do you not know that you died with Christ? and when he rose, you rose with him?(Rom 6:8-10) and rising with him we are gifted with the Advocate (Acts 1:8). And what is the reason this all began? That Christ had joy before him even as he endured the cross (Her 12:2). Loving humanity, even as we disobeyed him. Unified with God are we not to do the same?! Of course, stemming from his glorious grace, submit yourself to his will and love those Christ came and died for.

And I remind you of what Christ did while he was accused and persecuted? He stayed silent (Is 53:7) and continued his mission for it was his Father’s will he was accomplishing (Matt 26:42). If you are offended by their performance then having confidence in your mind, do not attend or watch but do so quietly, ensuring you have no quarrel with the world (1 Thes 4:11-12 + Rom 12:18).

To the non-believer, it is our standard to show you the love of Christ through the way we live and we will (or should) always have an answer for the hope that lives in us (1 Pt 3:15). Unfortunately we have become too proud in OUR own interpretations and I apologize on behalf of the response of my brothers and sisters. Fortunately this is what our religion and relationship with Jesus Christ is built on, we are sinners and saved from our offences by Christ’s actions and from that we ought to be working towards Christ-likeness.

Nouvain, Tom. How Olympics Opening Ceremony Artistic Director Thomas Jolly is Capturing the Essence of France. Associated Press. https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/how-olympics-opening-ceremony-artistic-director-thomas-jolly-is-capturing-the-essence-of-france/amp/
Izzy, Jack. Olympic Opening Ceremony Featured daVinci’s ‘Last Supper’?2024. https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/07/30/olympics-last-supper/
Padovani, Loic. Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. 2024. https://olympics.com/en/news/opening-ceremony-paris-2024-olympics-glory-thomas-joly-artistic-director-event
Goodfellow, Melanie. Olympics Opening Ceremony Artistic SagaControversial Tableau Was Not Inspired By ‘Last Supper’ – Updat e. 2024. Deadline. https://deadline.com/2024/07/olympics-opening-ceremony-artistic-director-intention-mock-or-shock-1236024601/

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Day and Night

3/16/2025

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I walk through the vibrant coloured light-engulfed environment,
atoms buzzing and soaring all around me.

I see far with my eyes and mind of wide-angle view,
feeling unlocked to all that could be achieved.

Filling the sun’s rays with all that needs to be done,
can I beat the sun before it pitches it’s tent?

Failing the race the heat leaves and the atoms rest in dense settlement.
My mind closes in and fear brings cold to these mortal bones.

I can no longer do all I wished,
The cold dim colours feel enclosing.

All around me I see peaceful slumbers,
I stand, the only one in darkness.

The cold solitary twilight begins to arm me,
and confidence builds with a sonder mind.

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Battle of Faith

3/16/2025

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Armour of God, battle of faith, warrior of God

The battlefield was vast and destruction rang out through history. Worse and worse the ground became more sterile just as those who walked among it. They strive to cultivate it but they do it for themselves. Only few do it for and in the proper manner, only found within the one revealed as the Creator. But there are those unseen beings who deceive whoever will listen and destroy those who don’t.

I stood with the girdle of truth holding fast to my waist, securing my centre of gravity. I see dead land for hundreds of meters; grey and black earth blended with the horizon. I was the only one as far as I could see. Demons came to tell their lies, spitting tenacious mucous effecting my view on reality.

“You cannot represent your Master. The entire world will watch you fail and never believe your Master is anything to worship,” a vicious snarl came from someone I used to call friend. It made my legs weak for I began to believe it myself. He had foundation to say it, he used to know me so well; we grew up in the same small town and were taught under the same rabbi. But he abandoned the school and was seduced by the unseen beings. He knew my short comings but he only spoke it as an agent of the demon. My sword slashed through him splitting the demon from his soul. My old friend fled, being pulled by the demon as it slipped from gripping his soul.

As soon as he stubbled away, his claim came to my mind and all my failures flooded my mind. I turned to see another demon flanked me and revealed all my sins.

“You hypocrite!” it said. “You claim to be righteous but you hate all those who don’t agree with you.” As soon as he said it all those I had argued with and held hatred in my heart for appeared all around me. All of them staring at me having exposed my emotion for them. I fell to my knees on the cold and sterile soil, no hope to redeem myself. I remembered saying the same thing about myself, I also remembered my response! I lifted my sword and in one step lunged for the demon.

“My righteousness is in my Master!” The demon shrieked and faded with the rest of the audience.
I stood sweeping around me to see any more enemies. I only saw the mountains in the distance. When I focused on them I realized they were waves spanning across the entire horizon. Anxiety flooded me before the wave was even near, I began to run in the opposite direction. My sabatons dug into as much dirt as they could, hoping to push as much earth away as the tsunami was gaining. But it failed. The wave overtook me and I was soon being crushed by the water that engulfed me. Swept off my feet I no longer had control of where I went, but could only go where the current threw me.

I tumbled and flipped, disoriented by the waters of anxiety. One wave sucked me up into its curl, my body met the ground with the weight crippling me. My armour dented, crushing my chest. I rolled over to my hands and knees vacating my lungs of water. Getting to a knee I attempted to suck in any air I could.

“This is your Master’s blessings?” a voice came from beside me. I had not the energy to guard myself, only thinking will this ever end? “You are not his servant, he blesses his servants.” As if this beast called it forth, the dead from my family came to haunt me. Their body resembled their young selves before the time they passed. Simultaneously, my shoulder felt as it did so long ago when it degraded to unuse. Unable to serve in war, or olympia games. What had I done to deserve any of it? The horrifying demon laughed and lifted a sword to strike me down. I only felt the weight of its comments, I was given unfair sufferings. My parents showed me my Master from birth, I learned and believed, always trying to do right. But I lost loved ones, developed disease, and received rejection.

I looked to my arm, attached to my shield. It was no longer identical to its injury so long ago, and I realized, “I tried to do what was right”? I could never do what was right without my Master. He gave me what was right. I lifted my shield and the demons sword rang off of it. I lifted my sword to insert it into the demons abdomen. It shrieked and melted into the ground.

I stood, weary from all these trials. My legs shook, arms feeling numb holding my sword and shield, but I could not let them leave my side. They are my life, a gift from my Master. I finally look around to where the waters placed me and saw standing to my side, an army of the fallen. They all looked like dogs ready to be released from their owners leash. And in the centre of the horde, was the master, the one holding the leash.

“You know nothing of the greater things of this world. I have seen heaven and earth, how do you think you will ever convince anyone of the greater things?” And with that the leash was let go. The army charged forward, all at me, all against me. There was no way I could survive or withstand against a force this big. But I had to, I had to resist the fallen Day Star. Everyday and every moment. We must all take opportunities to relinquish his hold on this world. I lifted my sword and shield and prepared for the fight, even if it was going to my end.

Then some force came from behind me. Three of them combined in one, pushing the forces of the fallen back and they all ran in terror after the first strike. I fell to my knees in front of a small stream left from the tsunami. As my Master was on his way back to me three ravens came to me with bread and meat.

“Well done,” my Master said. “You are a good and faithful servant. I was always with you, my son. I give you my yoke.”

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Going deeper in the mundane to find the extraordinary.

A Christian Response to 2024 Olympics

Day and Night

Battle of Faith

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