Of Tables, Theatrics and Tournaments
For You, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
— Psalm 97:9
I’ve never been a fan of the Olympics. I can appreciate the exhibition of human agility and healthy competition, but it’s just not “must-see-TV” at my house. I’d take a rerun of Seinfeld over any of the televised sports events any day.
Yet, for the past several days I have been confronted with images and stories surrounding the opening ceremony from Paris, France for this year’s Olympic Games in ways that I can’t ignore. I have read the backstory of artistic director Thomas Jolly’s vision to explore France’s history in a mixture of important national events and “free love” imagery and artistry. The message was “France is a place for everyone to be free to love who they want and to be who they want.” The result, however, was a pretty disturbing charade of unnatural behavior and mature themes that I find seriously unfit for normal audiences to be made to watch, especially since most people just wanted to see athletes run races and jump over stuff.
The culmination of the sad and offensive display was a gathering of people in drag behind a table in a pose indicative of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” an artistic rendering of the events surrounding Christ’s final meal with His disciples before the Crucifixion. Jolly and other show runners were quick to dismiss the similarity and claim the spectacle was more a reflection on ancient history and art but recent headlines have shown that this was not the case. They knew what they were doing, and they have offered apologies for the offense. But in the larger scheme, the machine of world culture that creates and supports the kind of behavior we saw at the ceremony and the political system of LGBTQ+ advocates has no genuine plans to change or stop producing the kind of imagery that promotes what we Christians find to be offensive before a Holy God who gave order and purpose to a world with fixed gender identity and “one man, one woman” marriage and family distinctions. Where does it end, and why is Christianity the first and most consistent target? Could it be because the world knows us to be a religion of mercy and forgiveness, unlike other traditions would not respond so graciously? Or is it because underneath the surface of their rhetoric, they know subconsciously that there’s more to the Bible and the Gospel than they let on?
I’ve been brewing over these events and I want to offer a few comments that I trust will be helpful to us as believers.
- The judgment on the world for sin is in part the release of more sin. Read Romans 1. The devices of sinful men are not going to get better; they’re going to continue in a twisted and distorted spiral of ungodliness. We must ask ourselves how much of that darkness we are willing to let in our homes? Are we prepared to stand out front and hold the fort of truth or continue to let the word teach our kids their way of life?
- This world does not need reform. Fixing economic problems and repairing inequality is not going to heal the obvious divide in our world. While one side of the world is fighting real war and families are facing dire circumstances, another side is so drunk on personal liberty that they have dancing, gyrating men and women in pastel paints depicting atrocious debauchery before the eyes of millions. There’s no shame. But, the answer to every bit of the mess is still Christ and Him Crucified.
- While you see the obvious references to Da Vinci’s painting, others have also noted the allusions to Greek mythology and religion. There’s more to this than meets the eye. But let it be known that while the lost and immoral leaders and power-brokers of this world claim their rainbows, flags, crowns, months and spectacles, it’s an empty shell of the true power of God. Unless we shatter the darkness with the light of the Gospel and men come to the truth, their empty threats and grandstanding are going to come to nothing but regret.
- Jesus can take it. He can bear the shame, and the continued assaults on the Church will not be fatal. We should stand firm, show grace and use our influence and power as citizens to make our disappointments known, but don’t get discouraged. Darkness prevails before dawn. Jesus is coming to make everything right.
- An ironic blessing out of this debacle is that “The Lord’s Supper” is a trending topic. Every social media site and news source is talking about the events of Christ fellowshipping with His disciples before His death and the implications of Communion in churches today. What an opportunity to educate the world around us on the Gospel promises and divine grace displayed in the Lord’s Table!
Blessings. SDG