Commentary; Posted: 9/8/04

The 2004 Olympic Gamesóbeyond the medals

Rev. John C. Blackford
Religion Columnist

The XXVIII (28th) Olympiad returned to its birthplace, Greece, August 13-29. In 776 B.C. almost 2800 years ago, at Mt. Olympus, the fabled home of the major Greek gods, the first games were held.

For three days up to 40,000 Grecians sat on a grassy hillside watching the worldís strongest and fastest men running, wrestling, throwing heavy stones and chariot racing, fighting to the death in some contests. The site was near the Temple of Zeus, their chief god, and at the end the unwashed multiples would party heartily, and then sacrifice 100 oxen to the gods.

For the modern athletes and visitors at this ancient place, with the ruins of the Temple still visible, it was an awesome experience. They realized that in those ancient times there were no tourist buses and no instant replay. No women competed and only Greeks were eligible. This was the Archaic period of the nation (800-500 B.C.) , which marked the development of their literature, arts, politics, philosophy, science and the Olympic games. In 393 A.D. the Roman Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympics because he considered them a pagan event. They were revived in 1896 and held in Greece. However, the Greeks had not hosted the games since then.

Fast forward to last monthís gala. The Olympics were held in Athens, the capital, 150 miles from Mt. Olympus. The main events took place in a 72,000 seat stadium. Teams of men and women from 200 nations competed, with a total of 10,500 athletes. 538 represented the United States and about a dozen have Minnesota connections. The hosts spent $7 billion to stage the games. An estimated 4 billion people watched on TV. Typical Athens temperatures in August are around 100 degrees, bringing discomfort both to athletes and spectators. The worst fearsóterrorism, security problems, traffic jams and unfinished facilitiesódid not come to pass.

If you need a reason for the Olympics, look no further than Iraq. The feel-good story of this Olympiad was supposed to be the triumph of the Greek athlete against the background of a glorious history and the high hopes of its participants. Early in the Games they compiled several medals, but two of the nationís popular athletes withdrew after missing a drug test. Instead, it was the Iraqi soccer team which caught everyoneís attention. In Iraq, one had not only a nation with a very modest soccer tradition, but a group of players sorely worried about families at home and representing a fragile and fledgling new state. Succeeding beyond expectations, they reached the quarterfinals, before losing. Yet, as striking as these victories were, their style of play was even more remarkable. It was a style grounded in teamwork, passion and unselfishness. Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, enemies for centuries, played together successfully. Can their example also unite a country?

One observer of the games, recalling the years of the Soviet Union and the ìEastern blocî nations and the forlorn looks of their Olympic entrants, said, ìIn a word, the Iraqis looked free.î Further, he recounts, ìthe same true freedom of spirit could be seen on the faces of athletes from a list of nations with familiar namesóAfghanistan, Grenada, Kuwait, South KoreaÖthe Czechs, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania (all holding elections since the early 1990s) and other former Soviet republics.î Then he pointed out: ìThese Olympians have one thing in common: They come from the nations the U.S. has liberated since the end of World War II.î

The Olympic Games reflect the sacrifices our nation has made to bring this liberating freedom to millions of suffering people through the lives we have lost and the billions of dollars we have invested for their safety and welfare. In the eyes of this great host, we are not the ìUgly Americansî some accuse us of being.

In the recent Luis Palau religious festival at the State Capitol grounds, in addition of the music and preaching, there were a number of athletic events and well known sports figures gave their Christian witness. The Billy Graham crusades feature figures from the sports world. They are following the writings of the Apostle Paul who wrote in I Corinthians 9:24: ìDo you not know that of all the runners in a race, only one is a winner. Run so you may win.î Bible scholars believe he was thinking of the popular Isthmian Games, one of the great national festivals of Greece in those days, and the citizens of Corinth would relate his illustration. Toward the end of his life, while languishing in a Roman prison, he wrote to Timothy: ìI have fought the good fight (literally, ëI have wrestled the good wrestlingí), I have finished my course (suggesting a marathon race), I have kept the faith; henceforth there is a crown of righteousness ready for me,Öand for all those who love his appearing.î (II Timothy 4:7,8) The crown of which he speaks is a reference to the laurel wreath awarded to the victor, a custom we saw carried out in the recently Olympics.

Some closing sidelightsÖabout 1.2 Americans say they are Greek-AmericansÖThe national anthem of Greece has 158 stanzasÖThe NBC Olympics anchorman, Bob Costas is of Greek descentÖThe movie ìMy Big Fat Greek Wedding,î a low-budget film, has grossed more than $240 million in the U.S.

Editors Note: Some materials have been excerpted from the Minneapolis Star Tribune (August issues) and the Wall Street Journal (August Issues.)

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