Like many people, I enjoy watching the various sports at the Olympic competitions. Due to their length, I rarely watch opening or closing ceremonies. Though I didn’t watch them, I did not miss the controversy that came out of the Paris Summer Olympics opening ceremonies when they seemed to reenact the Lord’s Supper in ways the church found quite offensive. I also certainly did not miss the response of the global church to this.
It is interesting that, as the church, we are still surprised by a secular world doing secular things in ways that offend those who are Christian. One only needs to look at the early church and the culture in which it existed to see this was the norm and has been repeated throughout history. While I was disappointed by the poorly thought-out presentation, I was also disappointed in the church’s response that I witnessed online. There were three key lessons I think we need to reflect on.
- Our responses often reach beyond our intended circles, especially in this digital age. Our opinions and voices carry much farther digitally than we might anticipate, which can be both a strength and a weakness. It’s crucial to consider the potential reach of our words and the wisdom in our communication. Are we being responsible in what we convey, given the possibility that it might be shared beyond our intended audience? Are we reflecting Christ in our response, or are we reflecting the responses the world would have? What is our witness to the world as we respond to what we encounter?
- We need to ask questions before we get upset. When we encounter a presentation like this, it is wise to ask why it was chosen and what they were trying to represent. Did they recognize or realize what it reflected to other groups, such as Christians? It’s very easy to point fingers, but I believe more fruit comes from discussion when we dialogue rather than accuse. When the discussion happened, it turned out they were reflecting on a painting called ‘The Feast of Dionysius” by Horemans Jan Joseff. That painting was most likely a parody of the Lord’s Supper. The directors of that scene would have done well to be better informed of the background of the painting, but those who were outraged should also have been better informed before casting judgment on motives.
- We must strive for a Christ-like response. Outrage is not a Christian response. A respected friend shared a quote on Facebook in response to the outrage Christians were showing. He quoted someone he knew who said, “I didn’t know outrage was a fruit of the Spirit.” This should serve as a wake-up call for the church to pause and reflect on our response. Does it truly reflect who Christ was? God does not need us to be outraged for Him. If we talk about being a light in a dark world, outrage simply reinforces darkness; it does not illuminate what is good and faithful. We must remember that outrage is not a fruit of the Spirit. How would the church’s witness in this situation have been different if we had shown the fruit of God’s Spirit in our interactions with the world around us?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
I saw very little of that fruit being shown. In our outrage, we took our eyes off the transforming work of Christ and put them on our outraged shelves. “The Lord’s Supper” by DaVinci depicts an intimate setting of Jesus’ devoted followers sharing a meal with Jesus. These men are in that picture because they were Jesus’ closest followers and those most impacted by Him. With the church’s reaction, did we reflect on what it meant for those men to be disciples? Did we reflect on our journey as disciples to the world?
The church’s response to the opening ceremonies, shown in the media, did not reflect the lives of disciples who God’s Spirit has transformed. It is okay to be sad about the world around us. We should be grieved by sin and brokenness. There is even room for discontent, however, outrage because a secular world doesn’t do things the Christian way, and we are offended. There is room to voice our concerns and discontent. That is part of our witness. How we do that matters, though. At the heart of the discipleship is a transformation of our heart, minds and lives so we become Christ-like. Christ called us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) Our Christian response should be one of love and prayer, even if we are being persecuted and others oppose us. Our response should show the fruit God has nurtured in us. The events of the opening ceremony were unfortunate but provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our responses to ensure that going forward, we are the light of Christ, loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, and bearing the fruit of the spirit for the world to see.
Mike Engbers is the Lead Pastor at Parliament Community Church in Regina, SK. Parliament Community Church is located near Harbour Landing. As a church we offer programs for all ages from children to youth, young adults to our Seniors who are a part of our Heritage groups. We are also diverse in cultural backgrounds but with a shared desire to grow as disciples of Christ together.