Challenged by the Winter Olympics

Don't get the wrong idea from the title of this article. Neither speed skating, downhill skiing, luge, nor figure skating is the challenge that I picked up from the first three days of this year's Winter Olympics from Italy. Rather, the challenge that stands out to me began when Kirsty Coventry, the president of the IOC, spoke to the athletes at the Opening Ceremony. She acknowledged that each one was an individual, but more importantly they were all part of a team - a team representing their nations, a team working together in their sport, and finally a team of athletes worldwide. She spoke of the unity that needed to be a part of each team and the unity that could result to make a difference among peoples of the world.

While Kirsty Coventry's speech was on point and challenging, words are only words until they are put in practice and verified as being a real value within the lives of the athletes and the teams that they represent. These games will last for two weeks and we are only in the third day as I write this, but already I have seen a tremendous demonstration of the unity that Kirsty spoke.

One of the events completed on Sunday was the Team Figure Skating. A national team entered their figure skaters in several different events that included individual events and couple events. The scores of all those competitors of that national team that composed the figure skating team of that nation were then added together to result in a team score. The United States won the gold medal and Japan won the silver medal. The difference in their scores was one point. There was excitement in each team as they congratulated their fellow team members. But then something else happened. The United States team and the Japanese team congratulated and encouraged each other. The team from Italy finished third. On the podium for the medal ceremony, after the medals were given to the participants, the United States team invited the Japanese and Italian teams to join them on the first place podium for a group picture and hugs all around.

I have always been impressed with how competitors from multiple nations develop friendships and support for each other. For several weeks, my pastor has been preaching through Paul's Letter to the Philippians. One major emphasis has been on unity within the church. I am grateful that through the years I have been privileged to serve several churches where unity through Jesus was prevalent. I am currently a member of a church that is like that as well.

Likewise, I am blessed to have been part of a family all of my life where faith, love, support, encouragement, and unity have been foundational to the structure and function of our family. I hope that has been and is currently your family situation as well. If not, maybe you are the person to take the lead in helping to demonstrate and support that type of family that future generations might have those characteristics as part of their heritage.

As I write this, I long to see that kind of unity restored to our nation. I pray for a nation where political parties are less tied to their group's platform and more focused on our nation as a whole. I pray for a nation that truly seeks to live up to our motto that is printed on our money - In God We Trust - and spoken in our pledge to our nation's flag - One Nation Under God. I pray that we might have leaders that truly know God through faith in Jesus so that when they speak of God, it is in faith and not in vain. I believe that unity in our nation will not come because we adhere our hope to some politician or party, but rather because we find our hope in the God who loves us and sent His Son into our world that through faith in Him, we might be made right with God and receive the promise of life eternal with Him.

Is unity just a dream or a real possibility? Look and see where it exists. What needs to happen in each of our relationships for it to exist? None of us are capable of accomplishing all that needs to be done to bring about unity, encouragement, love, faith, and support in every venue of life. But the apostle Paul wrote, "I can do all things" (he didn't stop his sentence there) "through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13).

May we begin our efforts toward unity in work places, in families, in churches, and in nations by first focusing our lives in trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Therein lies our true hope.