My husband Shawn and my late husband Ericlee both independently and collectively dreamed of going to the Olympics in person one day. That dream came to fruition on a humid August night this summer under a star-kissed sky in the north of France. Shawn and I entered the stadium with our three teenage daughters. We spent the next three evenings at the Stade de France, watching the finals of Track & Field at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Reports said 10,500 athletes competed overall in this Olympic Games from 206 nations. But perhaps more impressive is that this was the most well-attended Olympic Games in history. In the colossal stadium, the energy of 80,000-plus people was electric. Our family of five treasured this opportunity to be a part of it.
We cheered wildly with the rest of the world while my all-time favorite American athlete, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, smashed her own world record in the women’s 400-meter hurdles to finish in 50.37 seconds. Many professional female runners can’t run 400 meters (with no hurdles) in that time.
Sydney is special because of her poise, her speed, and her commitment to giving God the glory while achieving superhero status in her events. She joins the ranks of many athletes who broke records, acquired medals, and used the Olympics as an opportunity to share their faith.
The Olympic Games started in 776 B.C. in Greece. Part of the tradition of the games through the years is that the host country welcomes and offers safe passage for visitors from around the world to take part in the games. Weapons are laid down; politics are set aside; people rise above their differences to cheer their favorite athletes to victory.
Our family experienced first-hand this coming together of people from across the globe. As we ran through the streets of Paris and sat on the edge of our seats at the stadium, I was overcome by the spirit of welcome and community we felt.
Throughout the week, we met people from many countries. We walked to the sessions with our new German next-door neighbors, a family who also rented an Airbnb in the neighborhood. We befriended an Irish dad and his 8-year-old daughter who were on a daddy-daughter getaway week, traveling the country to attend different Olympic events. We dished on the Metro with a group of guys from Spain about plans for the 2028 Olympics in LA. We borrowed binoculars from a German couple next to us in the stands so we could get a better view of the long jump. We high-fived fellow Americans after victories in the relays and 200-meter race. We cheered until our voices grew hoarse with the Brits, French, Pakistanis, Nigerians, and Dutch in our spectator section.
The truth is: we are living in a tumultuous time in history. Wars rage between countries, guns infiltrate schools, trafficking steals the innocence of children, and elections deepen the fissures between us. And yet, in that open-air stadium with thousands of people made in God’s image from around the globe, I felt like I had a glimpse of the vision John describes in Revelation:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:9-10 NIV
In this passage, John describes the completion of God’s salvation plan for the world. God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for sinners like you and me. He rose again, conquered sin and death, and ascended to the Father where we will meet Him one day. He is waiting for the right time to return and welcome all believers from all nations, tribes, and languages to join Him in heaven.
David gives us a taste of this in Psalm 22: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:27-28 NIV).
Maybe you didn’t attend the Olympics, but you stayed up watching the games and got a glimpse of the glory too. What we experienced during the Olympics and Paralympics pales in comparison to this moment at the end of history, when we will all celebrate the ultimate victory of salvation and worship Jesus, our Champion, together in unity.
Paul echoes it in Romans 5:5-6 (NIV): “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In the meantime, what if we purposely live differently than the tumultuous world around us? What if we offer hospitality to strangers? What if we work toward reconciliation in the church and our communities? What if we decide to raise our voices in worship alongside brothers and sisters who are different from ourselves?
In this way, we might step into the spirit of the Olympics year-round. And more importantly, we might walk in the shalom of Jesus, the Lamb who will one day delight in our diversity as He sits on the throne.
Dorina,
How wonderful… I’m so glad that you got to go with your family. Attending the Olympics is a dream of mine also!
Sending you autumn joy,
Lisa
It was a dream come true! Maybe you can try for LA 2028!
Truly beautiful! Thank you for sharing! Traveling this big amazing world and meeting lovely people from different countries and cultures always opens my eyes to God’s love and grace. Someday we will all bow before Him in unity.
It’s amazing to dream about that day! Grateful for the visions we have through Scripture!
Diversity is nothing to be afraid of no matter how other voices try to say it’s our downfall. God created this wonderful array of people in His image and it frustrates me when I hear someone God doesn’t see color. Of course he does because he created everyone and what a joy to behold the beauty of others.
I wholeheartedly agree! He created diversity on purpose. It’s everywhere in Scripture and in our world! So grateful!
I live in Texas outside of Dallas and when we go to our favorite park for July 4th fireworks, the diversity of this area is strongly evident and every year I watch the families gather and children play while a pre fireworks concert is going on and I see all walks of people having a fun time peacefully gathered together and it gives me hope that we are not as divided as some project for divisive purposes.
I love hearing about your experience witnessing God’s diversity through His people!
What a wonderful article! Thank you so much for sharing with us and inspiring! (And Sydney is my favorite too!)
Ooooh, fun! I love meeting other Sydney fans!
Did not like the opening and closing ceremonies.
Dorina thank you for sharing. What you wrote I just loved it. The Olympics teach us so much to do the Lord. The way they keep their eyes on the goal of winning and don’t let any stop them training for that goal to come first. Listing to the training instructor. When he are she is training then for such a world whide event. They look to trainer to put them through their paces. They stick to training for it every day. They don’t give up they don’t let anything side track them when they focus on their training. Like us who can some of us get distracted from reading God’s word every day. Not letting God be out trainer to teach us how to live for him properly every day as his word says for our lives. Go on the track God wants us too. Not going of that track and not letting Satan the Devil side track us. To not spending time with God ever day reading his word and saying our prayers. By being so busy with work if we work and having this and this to do when we get home from work. Or if retired we get involved in things for the elderly if that age. Meeting friends for coffee lunch or things that are there for the elderly to do during the week so boredom doesn’t set in. If not retired if working of at weekend or day during the week to rest. We do the same meet or Friend for coffee or lunch now and then. Do other things to keep us busy. That we can become to tired to spend time with God reading his word and saying our prayers each day. We then say I will read God word and say my prayers tomorrow. So we have to put God first in every thing spending time with him in reading his word and prayer. Like the people who train for the Olympics don’t ever forget to train for them. They don’t let distractions stop them training. They put their training first. We have to do the same with God. Also the special Olympics teach us to be thankful that we that have no disabilities if we have none. Like in a wheelchair or a false leg. We all body part all that have. See also what it teaches us they let nothing thoes with a disability stop them training for the things they are doing in the special Olympics. They also show us not to grumble the way we can do about anything we may grumble. To know we are fearfully and wonderfully made in God eyes. They that have disabilities get out there and train for the Olympics they don’t let anyone or anything stop them or their disabilities get the better of them. They also look to the trainer training them. They don’t grumble about the disability they have. We in all these things are to look to God. Not grumble be thankful for what we have. Keep our eyes on God. Take time to read his word and say our prayers each day. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland xx
So many good spiritual analogies here!