There is so much coverage of the Olympics at the moment it is easy to miss those little snippets that connect the games to our Christian faith.
The Church Times reported that there was some anger among Christians at the apparent take off of Leonardo da Vinci´s Last Supper in the opening festivities. Was it really intended? This was unclear. Read the Church Times story here.
But there were two rather more encouraging stories of faith at the Olympics, which struck a chord with one of our readers.
Firstly an article appeared in the Church Times about the life of Eric Liddell, who made a considerable sacrifice in the Olympic Games of 1924 – also in Paris – because of his faith.
In the months leading up to the start of the games, he discovered that the 100 metre heats were to take place on a Sunday, and refused to compete – making him a hero to some, Christian and non-Christian alike, but a villain to others who saw it as an example of religious extremism and a lack of patriotism. He did, however, compete in, and win, the 400 metres, and earned a bronze medal in the 200 metres.
His story is of course well known, thanks to the film, Chariots of Fire. Read the article here.
And a few days later a different take on faith at the Olympics appeared on Premier Christian News. It was the story of 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal, a committed Christian, who, like others, had been told that it was inappropriate to give praise to God, as French Olympians are required to adhere to secularism principles. Instead, she used sign language to quote John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'”
Read the full story here.