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The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics
Posted by
Bob Fetherlin
,
10 August 2008
·
873 views
Incrediblly inspiring. Amazingly creative. Absolutely fantasic! No question about it, the Chinese presented a breath-taking opening ceremony to an estimated 4 billion viewers from around the world!
As I watched nearly 11,000 athletes enter the stadium in a parade of nations, tears came to my eyes more than once. Here was a kaleidoscope of skin color, culture, and language! Sensing the beauty of a humanity united by the olympics, the commentators were making statements like:
- "Isn't this wonderful seeing the peoples of the world, with all their diversity, celebrating together!"
- "No conflicts, no wars here this evening. Isn't it great the most bitter of enemies can put aside their differences for this very moving celebration!"
- "This is the way it is supposed to be!"
The human spirit longs for a day when peace will reign on the earth, when people from every ethnicity and nationality will be united and celebrating together, when envy, strife, and hatred will be no more.
This longing can be rightfully understood from the perspective of a biblical worldview. Its ultimate fulfillment is a major part of the final chapter of the human story. There is coming a day when our Lord God Almighty will reign! He will wipe every tear from the eyes of the redeemed. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. The old order of things will have passed and the new order under God's righteous reign will have come! To learn more read the last four chapters of the book of Revelation.
What a privilege to help others be ready for this grand celebration! None of us can gain entry on our own merit. By turning from our self-centeredness and sin, confessing our need of a Savior, and putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we become the recipients of God's grace. As forgiven people, our relationship with God is restored through Christ. And we can rest assured that we'll be a part of this greatest of celebrations for which the human spirit longs!
As I watched nearly 11,000 athletes enter the stadium in a parade of nations, tears came to my eyes more than once. Here was a kaleidoscope of skin color, culture, and language! Sensing the beauty of a humanity united by the olympics, the commentators were making statements like:
- "Isn't this wonderful seeing the peoples of the world, with all their diversity, celebrating together!"
- "No conflicts, no wars here this evening. Isn't it great the most bitter of enemies can put aside their differences for this very moving celebration!"
- "This is the way it is supposed to be!"
The human spirit longs for a day when peace will reign on the earth, when people from every ethnicity and nationality will be united and celebrating together, when envy, strife, and hatred will be no more.
This longing can be rightfully understood from the perspective of a biblical worldview. Its ultimate fulfillment is a major part of the final chapter of the human story. There is coming a day when our Lord God Almighty will reign! He will wipe every tear from the eyes of the redeemed. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. The old order of things will have passed and the new order under God's righteous reign will have come! To learn more read the last four chapters of the book of Revelation.
What a privilege to help others be ready for this grand celebration! None of us can gain entry on our own merit. By turning from our self-centeredness and sin, confessing our need of a Savior, and putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we become the recipients of God's grace. As forgiven people, our relationship with God is restored through Christ. And we can rest assured that we'll be a part of this greatest of celebrations for which the human spirit longs!
