Disappointed and Saddened by the Opening of the 2024 Olympics

Jim McKay, Howard Cosell, Al Michaels, and Keith Jackson are some of the historic voices of my Olympic memories. World class extraordinary wins for the USA, fascinating ‘Up Close and Personal’ features, historic theme music, and beautiful introductions to foreign lands flood my memories when I think of the Olympics. Beginning in the 70’s, when the Olympics would come around, my family and I would stop typical daily habits and make time to watch as much coverage as possible. Key events in the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics fascinated us. In the past many years, Michael Phelps held us captive as he went for Olympic record (and gold) after Olympic record. Enter the opening ceremony from Paris Summer Olympics 2024. I responded to this year’s presentation with disappointment, sadness, and, in honesty, anger. I am seeking to work through my response as a disappointed and saddened fan of the Olympics.

Editor’s Note: It is now Saturday evening. I have searched for clear explanations of the artist’s intent in the presentation. This AP article says the ceremony director did not deny it was the Last Supper, although some are suggesting it was just a Greek god feast. However, the naked blue man is both interviewed and described here: “The ‘naked blue man’ who starred in the bizarre Last Supper parody at Olympic opening ceremony has broken his silence on the controversial stunt. French actor and singer Phillippe Katerine was playing the role of the Greek god of wine Dionysus in a recreation of the famous biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles sharing a last meal before the crucifixion.” The tableau, in French is being called “La Cène sur la scène sur la Seine,” using three homonyms as a pun: “The Last Supper on the stage on the Seine.”

The 2024 Debacle

According to a thepinknews.com article by Chantelle Billson, the queer Olympic opening ceremony director Thomas Jolly wanted everyone to feel represented. In fact, the slogan for the Paris 2024 games is Games Wide Open. Tony Estanguet, the head of the organizing committee for the Games, explained the slogan represents the power to open hearts and minds and help people stop seeing differences as obstacles. He promised: “Bold and creative Games that dare to take a step outside the box, to challenge the current models, our ways of seeing things, our paradigms, to give us the opportunity to come together, to be proud together, to experience together.”

Certainly, the opening ceremonies failed when it came to the billions in the world who love and follow Jesus Christ. For sure the ceremony highlighted sexual debauchery, a decapitated head singing, drag queens recreating the painting of Jesus’ Last Supper, and more. Regardless of the stated goal, the opening ceremony both provided offense to billions as it portrayed an anti-Christian, vile, sexualized message.

Should we have expected less from the head of the organizing committee (Estranguet) and queer ceremony director (Jolly)? I sure did.

In fact, I would have expected NBC on behalf of its American audience and advertisers to insist on something better. But should I?

The Reality of Our World

In all reality, what we experienced on NBC network television as simulcasted across the world simply represents the heart of mankind.

Jesus said:

““If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” (John‬ ‭15‬:‭18‬-‭25)‬

It should not surprise us that they egregiously blasphemed Jesus Christ.

Did they blaspheme Mohamed? Buddha? Gandhi? No. However, none of them proclaim absolute truth. No other world or religious leader proclaims to be and is God. Just as Jesus said, in Him, ‘they have no excuse for their sin.’

The Apostle Paul also explained this to us. He wrote:

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭32)‬

This is exactly what we experienced on our television screens, phones, computers, and other streaming devices in the opening ceremony.

My point: this opening ceremony simply represents artistically what is true spiritually. Many of us simply do not see the debauchery of the human heart celebrated before our eyes. Yet, this is what is true. As Paul wrote, ““For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12).‬

Notice also how Paul described those without a relationship with Jesus:

“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” (Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭19)‬

Those outside of Jesus Christ have given themselves over to lewdness and to work all uncleanness – without ever being satisfied. These individuals cannot be satisfied by either their own lifestyle or without all other individuals not simply tolerating their lifestyle but also promoting their individual lifestyle choices.

For this reason, in order for everyone to feel represented, in their mind, they needed to minimize and even blaspheme Jesus. Jesus and His followers threaten their very existence.

How Do Those Who Love Jesus Respond?

How do we respond?

I think this has a two-fold answer.

First practically, we do not have to watch the Olympic coverage.

Although they can blaspheme Jesus Christ and promote vile lifestyles, we do not have to see it or watch it. We can simply not watch it. We do not have to support the Games, the organizers, or the ones promoting it by watching it. Lack of viewership influences what is accepted. Therefore, for me at least, I will choose to not watch the very Olympics that I have so much loved throughout my lifetime.

I support Team USA. I will rejoice in winning. However, I do not have to watch it as I have done in the past. Of course, you can do as you wish; yet, for me, I will pass.

Second, I will recommit to praying for all those participating and watching the Olympics who need to know Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

My prayer is that they would believe in Jesus for eternal life. I pray for all of those who do not know or love Jesus who have paraded their debauchery.

Although they do not love Jesus, He loves them and offers them life in His name. He came to forgive people who hate Him. Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for not only our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). John wrote:

“By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬)

“We love Him because He first loved us.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬)

These individuals do not love God; however, their lack of love should not keep us from loving them and desiring their salvation. They need the same grace in Christ all of us who have been saved by Him needed and now enjoy. For this reason, although we can identify their debauchery as sin, we cannot attack them as people.

We rest in this: “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬).

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