Every four years (absenting a few wartimes and the Coronavirus) the world seems to drop everything and glue their eyes to a tv screen to watch the Olympic games. This event originated in Ancient Greece. I am not a regular watcher of the Olympics, but I will tune in from time to time or watch clips on Youtuve. This year was going to be different, I wanted to watch them, in part because in women's gymnastics, Simone Biles was making a return after stepping back last time around, and the other reason being, Cole Hocker, who was a year behind me was running an event in men's track and field after breaking an Olympic record (can't remember if it was national or world) at the trials. Then, came the opening ceremony....
Now, I did not watch the opening ceremony, though I did want prior to it happening since former Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning was an emcee (and might be for the entirety of the games), I am happy I did not watch. I surely do not have to say why as it's all over social media, the news, the internet, and likely many local, national, and international newspapers. Yes, I am talking about the blasphemous rendering of the Last Supper. I know that the Olympic committee released an apology, but it was, in my opinion, not very genuine. It denied the blatant reference to the Last Supper by Leonardo Di Vinci even after it had been revealed that that's where the inspiration for the skit came from. But even so why call it blasphemous?
For the pure fact that the display had drag queens posing as Jesus and his disciples and the other sexual innuendo (someone portraying Dionysus coming from a fruit basket) which littered the showcase. Some may call Christians, Catholics and Protestants, too sensitive, and say well they apologized so all's good. Not so?
I can't say for sure, but I have good intuition that if it were any other religion that had been openly mocked on an international stage like this, there would be bending over backwards for an apology. This apology would not have simply been a brushing under the rug of what happened under the guise of "inclusivity", but the Olympic committee would, I can guess, have gone on international television making amends for their wrongdoing, humbling themselves exceedingly to show how penitent they were for their wrongdoing. So then what, in the aftermath of this should be done?
I stand with many Catholic public figures, such as Bishop Barron and Chris Stefanik, I will not be watching the 2024 Summer Olympics despite my previously stated interest in doing so. I on the other hand, will Bishop Andrew Cozzens and others suggest, and make reparation for this heinous blasphemy. Yet, I will also pray for all those who unknowingly had to witness this tragedy from their seat in the stadium in Paris. While I would love to see Catholic and Protestant athletes opt of of competing because of this, I know that is not likely. Yet, I hope at least to see some show some kind of push back against what occurred at the opening ceremony, whether quiet or vocal (using their actual voice, or their pen on social media).
Regardless of any athlete's response to the scene at the opening ceremony, I think this could be a good moment for American Christians, protestants and Catholics, to reflect on the relationship this country has to professional sports, and sports in general. Every four years, the Olympics become a bigger news item than any religious action, almost watching the Olympics becomes such. The same as the yearly rituals of the Super Bowl, World Series, and March Madness, which are almost bigger than any church service, for Catholics mass, or it can seem that way; this is especially the case with the Super Bowl which always occurs on a Sunday. Now, none of these sporting events are inherently bad, as sports are a legitimate form of recreation which can be engaged in on any day, even Sunday; though, at least for Catholics, it should not interfere with the day being set aside, primarily, for God. But like anything good on its face, it can become warped.
So here are a couple of questions to ask yourself, if you are Christian, Protestant or Catholic:
How much time do I devote to watching/following sports? is it more time than I devote to prayer or other religious practices?
Which has a bigger affect on me emotionally/mentally/physically/spiritually, the outcome of a sporting event or prayer or a church gathering?
Would I skip Church in order to make a sporting event?
There could be other questions that could be asked, but these are the three that came to mind immediately. I hope you can use this to examine whether God or sports takes priority in your life. If after honest consideration, you find sports are before God, perhaps talk to a trusted spiritual advisor, be it a priest, pastor, or spiritual director or a friend you feel is particularly good with spiritual matters, to see how you can get your house in order. Whether or not you answer the questions, I would invite you to pray the St. Joan of Arc Novena with me (even if you are not Catholic) in reparation for this offense to God.
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