The summer Olympics came to a close at the end of
August. I must admit I enjoy watching
the Olympics. I am somewhat of a sports
junkie. I become intrigued with the
Olympics because you discover some unusual events we normally do not see or
understand. We get to see the tried and
true sports we know more about. I love
to hear some of the human interest stories behind the athletic abilities. We follow particular athletes from our
country or other countries we enjoy watching them compete. We get to see individual and team
competitions. I appreciate the spirit
and demeanor of the games in the respect given to every country despite the
number of athletes that represent their nation.
The opening ceremony of the Olympics amazes me as the athletes parade in
from all the countries. It doesn’t
matter if it is 300 or 3 from a country, pride and smiles are on all the
faces. The global experience to compete
at the highest level for your country and you truly an honor and a
blessing. As the torch is lit in the
main stadium there is excitement about the possibilities of what each athlete
can do in their respective sport.
When we watch events we see all kinds of things that inspire
us through the two week of events. We
observe Olympic and world records being broken.
We see athletes perform at a level beyond their own expectations. We see premier athletes excel. We see unexpected victories as new names and
talent emerges on a global scene. We
watch the agony of those not able to reach medal contention. We see athletes help or aid others who are
injured during competition. Even though
each athlete represents a particular county there is a human spirit that rises
above location that inspires our hearts.
As I was able to watch some of the closing ceremonies and
reflected on all the events and athletes I observed over the past two weeks, I
reflected on my own life and considered what I can do to inspire others or
maximize my own potential. We all need
times in our life to reflect on how to be our best and how to represent our
Christian faith in helpful and hopeful ways.
I invite us all to discover ways to be an inspiration to another person
or family. How can we make an
impact? How can our faith encourage
others to see hope and possibility? This
congregation has even more potential waiting to be experienced.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Dr. Christopher Wilson
