Over the past two weeks, the eyes of our nation and neighborhoods have been glued to the Olympic competitions in Paris. The Games offer a respite from more serious and sobering events – war in Gaza, Israel, and Ukraine; tropical storm Debby plodding her way up the East Coast; wildfires in the West; regime change in Bangladesh; the rancor of political campaigns. While competitors are representing their nations, it is heartening to see the mutual respect, support, and good sportsmanship that has prevailed across national, racial, and religious lines. That has not always been the case, but one might hope that the example of these athletes could carry over into other realms in the relationships among nations, neighbors, tribes, and political parties. Throughout the Games, there have been individual stories of triumph and tragedy, sheer dominance and surprising upsets, redemption from past losses, and prospects for future excellence. The work and discipline necessary to achieve the level of performance that these athletes demonstrate is remarkable. All had to be fully committed to their sport and the training demanded to excel in it; it took a lifetime of practice and a village of supporters to enable them to rise to an Olympic level. Not everyone can be an Olympic athlete, but no Olympic athlete can get there alone! Are you as committed to anything as the Olympic athletes are to their sport? Where does commitment to your faith fall in the list of those things that you pour the most time and effort into? Paul uses athletic imagery to speak of his faith journey: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Could you say the same? If we are to excel as disciples, then we must do the hard work of discipleship. We cannot sit passively by and expect faith to blossom in us any more than athletes can expect to become Olympians while sitting on the couch watching others compete! Are you a disciple or are you just a spectator? Just as athletes train and commit their time and energies to their sport, so we are called to commit, train, and work to be faithful disciples. Faith is formed day to day through the commitment of time and energies directed toward nurturing faith and practicing faithfulness in things like Bible study, worship, prayer, and service to others. May you be inspired by this year’s Olympians to be the best disciples you can be, so that one day you too can say with Paul: “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!”
– John Peterson
