the Olympics

When the Olympics were airing a few weeks ago, I frequently heard disappointment voiced about the games, mostly that winter olympic sports are less exciting than those of the summer games.  (I am, in fact, a huge fan of the winter olympics over the summer olympics.  However...)


Whether or not you are a fan of the sports themselves, there's something to say about being able to watch athletes- representatives- from 82 different countries come together in one setting, completely devoid of political intrusion; to compete against each other with sportsmanship and grace, without regard to the nationality of their competitors.  When our world today is ravaged by so many political conflicts, an event like the Olympics serves to remind us that behind the front of politics, we are all still human beings, and that even if countries may disagree on certain issues, people from those countries can still connect with each other on other levels.  Yes, the Olympics is a great sporting event that showcases amazing athletes from all over the world.  It also serves as a brief reminder to everyone that it is possible to relate to people from other countries despite some initial barriers that may have to be broken through.  Although politics plays a role in the relationship between various countries' governments, it does not have to get in the way of real human connections.


Whether you take this lesson and impose it on a small-scale or global level, there is something that can be learned by each of us from watching the Olympics.  Though the Olympics occur just every two years, hopefully that is often enough that we don't forget that deep down, there is something the same inside all of us.