Big

Today we were eating a late lunch and I turned on the tv to see what was up with the Olympics and the opening ceremonies. I caught the very end of the performance aspect (which was spectacular) and I began to watch as the different countries who are participating in the game were being announced. 

I consider myself good at geography and could recognize most flags, but I didn’t even recognize some of the names of the countries! The introductions seemed to carry on and on. I wanted to see the U.S. be introduced but I wasn’t sure if I had the time to wait. Finally the US came out (wearing dorky golf-like caps that most athletes tried to play off by wearing them cockeyed or something) and I was surprised at how many athletes we put in these game…more than 5 or 6 other countries combined! But that’s not the point. 

The point is…as I was watching these people be announced, country after country, I got this rare sense of how big the world really is. I’ve travelled a bit, so understand the distance. But not always the breadth of diversity. I was humbled to be a human while watching this. There are so many of us and each of us are unique with dreams, pain, hopes, hurts, and desires. The people of the world that I saw briefly on the television today represent cultures, people groups, and the bigness of the human race. It hit me deeper than I expected. I found myself admiring God for his immense creativity and ability to express beauty in so many different ways. Literally…red, yellow, black, and white…He paints equally well with all the colors.

Even if just for a moment on the TV and for a sporting event, I felt a glimpse of the Kingdom when all is said and done. People come in with their tribes, much celebration and dancing, but in the end become as one…In the real story, we get to be as one in a perfection the doesn’t commence competition, pain, disappointment, frustration, and rivalry, but instead ends all these things into the true fulfillment of humanities purpose: to be in harmony with God and each other forever. 

I’m definitely going to be watching the games…I love the Olympics. But I hope that I catch myself stopping, and appreciating just the fact that I get to see the people of the world in one camera shot. We live in amazing times. Let us see the world as big as it is…and love God all the stronger as Lord and Lover of it all.