many nations, one kingdom

“Although Olympic teams enter the stadium at the opening ceremony carrying their national flags, the closing ceremony is designed to highlight unity as if all the athletes belonged to one unified world. This concept came about because of 17-year-old John Ian Wing during the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. During the days just before those games, the world was in turmoil. As teams made their way to Australia, Soviet tanks and troops entered Budapest to put down the Hungarian uprising.

A few days after the opening ceremony John Wing wrote a letter to the organizing committee. He suggested a different kind of march for the closing ceremony: "During the march there will be only one nation ... What more could anybody want if the whole world could be made as one nation?"

So it was done, and this march with a different attitude has become a tradition that has lasted for all Olympic Games-athletes from many nations saying farewell as one body, instead of marching separately under their own national flags. What an inspiring thought about how sports could be in the prophesied world of tomorrow!” (by Graemme Marshall, The Olympic Ideal, http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/gn/gn030/olympic.html)

To be more explicit than I was yesterday in my sermon, what a beautiful symbol of many nations marching in to the Olympics and one nation marching out that a young man envisioned and brought about through a letter written. God sent another young man, whose very life was the Word incarnate, whose dying and rising and made God's kingdom which will never end available to all. Jesus has brought about the "many nations to one kingdom" through his life, death and resurrection; he is the unrivaled Lord and King, and the only one who can deliver on his promises.

And it is not to the beautiful, the strong and the swift that the invitation to march in the glorious procession of the one, everlasting kingdom comes; but to the hurting and helpless, the weak and dependent, who do not trust in chariots or horses, in their own wisdom or strength, but only in the Lord their God.

There are many Scriptures we could use that point to this truth, but I will close with this one:

"You are worthy... for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, people, and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
(Revelation 5:9-10)

The Olympics, Israel, and Romans 11

I mentioned in church about a great article clarifying the Israel / Gentile question, particularly as Paul addresses it in Romans 11. You can find it at Dwight Pryor's site, Center for Judeo-Christian Studies. You can read it or download it from the main page there.

Here's a summary - the article refers to verses 11-12 of Romans 11, and suggests that Paul may actually be drawing an analogy from Homer's Iliad.

"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass ("fall" KJV, or "misstep") salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure ("defeat" or "diminishing") means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion ("fullness" KJV, or "completion") mean!"
(Romans 11:11-12)

In the Iliad there is a story of a race that Odysseus (Ulysses) wins with divine help. In the race, Ajax, seems to be headed to victory when Odysseus calls upon Athena for greater speed. The goddess causes Ajax to stumble and fall, enabling Odysseus to pass him and take the prize. Ajax manages to right himself to finish second, and share the riches.

The terms Paul uses in Romans 11:11-12 are terms also used as racing terms: the word translated transgression (NIV and ESV) or fall (KJV) was a common term to Paul's Roman audience for a runner taking a false step or a misstep in a race; the term often translated failure was used to denote a competitor's defeat or failure in a race.

From this perspective we see that Paul may again have been using athletic imagery to teach theological truth. Israel indeed stumbled over the chosen stone. But Paul has also affirmed that theirs are the promises, and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Salvation has come to the Gentiles through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah unto death, to the advantage of the Gentiles. He says he is committed to provoke them to jealousy, so that they will get up and continue the race and share in the riches of God's glory.

O the depth of the riches and wisdom of the knowledge of God! (11:33)

creation care

This is a very interesting blog - it's a young woman (ie. she has young children...) who is trying to go a month without using any plastic. It's posted on the BBC website, though I'm not sure if that's who she works for or not.

month without plastic

the Restoration Project...
"Restoring lives, making disciples, caring for creation"