I love watching the Olympics. It brings out a sense of patriotism, pride in my country, and competitive spirit that, to be honest, is probably best to only appear for a couple weeks every other year! I get fired up watching Michael Phelps set records and watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team run away with the gold medal. But, I also love hearing the stories that come out of the Olympics.
Every two years the Olympics give us a reason to set aside all the other things that plague our world so we can come together for friendly competition and games. It begins to unite us all in a way that is very refreshing. You see the athletes from different countries getting to know each other and having fun together. You see basketball players (yes, even Kevin Durant) getting excited about swimming and cheering each other on.
This year, one of the stories that really caught my attention was the newly created refugee team. For the first time ever, the International Olympic Committee put together a team made up completely of refugees. These are individuals who have no nation to call home, no flag to wave, and no national anthem to sing. The IOC wanted to raise awareness around the refugee crisis facing our world today and allow these athletes to serve as a message of hope for us all.
The IOC President, Thomas Bach, said, “These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills and strength of the human spirit.”
I think this is the same message God wants each of us to know as well. We may not have been through the same kind of tragedies these refugees have, but we all do face tragedy in life. Yet, no matter what we have been through, what we have done or failed to do, and no matter what has been in our past, God wants us all to know that we can choose to make a difference in our world. What has happened in our past does not have to define us. We can choose to move forward with our talent, skills, and the strength of our human spirit that God has instilled in us.
What has been your favorite Olympic moment so far?
