Outrage at the Olympics

But fear not

Controversy erupted recently, yet again. Controversy has become mundane, however. It’s like the boy who cried wolf: how do we know which controversies to take seriously?

Courtesy Original Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics (which I did not and do not plan to see) generated outrage because part of the entertainment featured drag queens in what appeared to be a parody of Christ’s Last Supper. The actor who played the mostly nude “blue god,” however, said he was proud of his performance. And the director claimed it portrayed a Greek feast, not a biblical event. Critics, however, note that its title, “La Cène sur la scène sur la seine” translates as, “The Last Supper on the stage on the Seine.”

Semantics aside, it’s clear that the cultural elites hold Christianity in low esteem. We should not expect anything different. It’s expected today that a Christian character on a Netflix program most likely will be portrayed negatively. And after Ireland’s non-binary performer at Eurovision dressed in what many interpreted as a Satanic costume, nothing should surprise us. The cultural elites are flirting with evil, and this has consequences for ordinary people.

We mustn’t forget, however, that unmeasured responses provide the establishment with a new opportunity to mock Christians. Accusations of being a snowflake and playing the victim, so often used by the right against the left, can now be used by the left against Christians.

Don’t take the bait.

Besides, unmeasured outrage shows a lack of trust in God. Christians from Nigeria to China face life-threatening persecution. In the West, we face blasphemy and gaslighting but not physical harm. There are plenty of passages in the Bible telling us to expect this—and telling us that we can handle it with Christ at our side. After all, why would we want the establishment’s approval when it is God’s approval that actually matters? 

Neil Gorsuch shows us how to react to bait. He was confirmed to the United States Supreme Court in 2017. During the Senate hearing the media tried to make a big deal over the Supreme Court overruling one of his lower court rulings. When asked about it, he responded, “That’s fine.” But his stoicism irritated the press, who were hoping he’d be upset.

What happened at the Olympics is not fine. It’s Luciferian. But Christians can, without the excessively emotional language so common on social media, acknowledge the fact that the cultural establishment doesn’t like us, but that Christ calls us to love our neighbors—and even our enemies—as ourselves. We must forgive and pray for them. We must also clearly state our rejection of their actions.

By reacting in a matter-of-fact way, standing firm in our Christian faith, and practicing love and forgiveness we will do more to bring people to Christ than attacking others will. Still, only God can forgive mockery against Him, and that requires repentance.