A sense of pilgrimage

In the wilderness of austerity and of a supposedly broken Britain, the country has come alive for the Diamond Jubilee and London 2012. The Olympic torch procession around the country, followed by the Isles of Wonder opening ceremony, has given a sense of pilgrimage to an allegedly secular society. All this follows the uplifting reception given to Pope Benedict less than two years ago.  

Values that endure

In this context, everyone can relate to the biblical readings of manna in the desert, of constancy, doubt, searching, finding, rediscovering, of hardships faced and of values that endure, of what it is to believe.

Of course, whether we are considering today’s events or the Old Testament, there are always people who have complained that we have been abandoned, forsaken by our God. There are always those who resent the cost of institutions – the Papacy, the monarchy, the Olympics, the government, the National Health Service. We are quick to accuse others of worshipping false idols, including sporting heroes who are rarely the ‘icons’, in a religious sense, that secular media commentary suggests. 

Nevertheless, even in contemporary Britain, crowds will come out in force and with joy for special occasions, including in recent weeks the torch procession and the cycling road races. Even those who regard themselves as secular, republican and anti-sport can find themselves enjoying a procession, pageant, regatta, concert or other ceremony. Sometimes, they even admit it.  

Manna from heaven

A few Christians would only have accepted the Olympic opening ceremony as ‘Christian’ if it had come with a church in the middle of the pastoral scene. For most, however, Danny Boyle’s more subtle exploration of our spiritual roots did indeed have a religious quality. The ceremony began with children’s church choirs singing 'Jerusalem', 'Danny Boy', 'Flower of Scotland' and 'Guide me O Thou Great Redeemer'. These songs of praise, associated with the different parts of these islands, came like manna from heaven. 

A later highlight was to hear all eight verses of 'Abide with me' sung by Emeli Sandé. This great hymn has echoes of how the people must have felt in the desert. More directly, its title and most famous words come from the King James’ translation of the New Testament account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, asking the stranger (who they later appreciate in the breaking of bread is Jesus himself) to stay with them, echoing our Old Testament reading this week in the relief that comes with manna from heaven. On our Olympic journey, we too can learn to abide with God and with one another.

An invitation to explore

In short, the whole opening ceremony and its precursor, the Olympic torch procession, had the grace and air of a glorious school or parish church pageant or procession or pilgrimage or passion play. In this setting, each element of the lectionary readings can encourage all-comers to explore the meanings of the biblical texts themselves but also of the opening ceremony and of their own spiritual journeys through life. 

In the quest for gold

Just as a religious underpinning can be detected to the opening ceremony’s tale of these isles of wonder, with revolutions from industrial to digital, creating challenges yet opportunities for transformation, so we can discern beneath the Olympic movement’s apparent quest for gold a deeper spiritual significance. 

For example, two phrases especially associated with the Olympic movement and are usually attributed to the founder of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, but both have their origins in insights by priests, a French Dominican Catholic and an American Episcopalian bishop. Coubertin acknowledged both and deserves credit for appreciating their potential to capture important insights into sport and life. Coubertin was brought up as a Catholic and moved in Catholic circles, even though he rejected as an adult the religion of his childhood.

Swifter, higher, stronger 

The Olympic motto, ‘citius, altius, fortius’, the Latin for ‘swifter  (or faster), higher, stronger’, was a tag created by Fr Henri Didon OP, a Dominican French priest who promoted sport as principal of a church school. He put the three comparatives in the different order of ‘citius, fortius, altius’ which has the advantage of having ‘fortius’ or ‘stronger’ as the pivot, imbuing it with a wider sense of strength of character. He was himself a strong character who was twice stopped from preaching and sent to Rome, then in the second case to exile, before returning to France in 1890 as Prior of the College of Arcueil for the last ten years of his life. The first time he was in trouble, he was able to see Pope Leo XIII who supported and encouraged him by saying, ‘Devote your knowledge, and all your science, all your eloquence, and all your powers to youth. Bring them back to God and to Faith... Continue, Didon, continue.’ Coubertin knew Fr Didon and borrowed his expression as capturing the spirit of his revival of the Olympics.

The taking part

The other great Olympic phrase, about ‘not the winning but the taking part’, emerged from Coubertin’s interpretation of the sermon on 19 July 1908 of Ethelbert Talbot, then the Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, at St Paul’s Cathedral in the middle Sunday of the ill-tempered London 1908 Olympics. There was considerable tension between the Americans and the British in the first week of the Games, especially over the tug-of-war, with accusations of cheating, much as the first week of the Games has seen an American coach question the integrity of Chinese swimmers and almost everyone question the sense of fair play in badminton, as pairs tried to lose to affect whom they would they meet in later rounds. The spectators were quick to express their disapproval of such behaviour. Likewise, the crowds took to their hearts those who really did come to participate, without any expectation of winning.  

 Bishop Talbot was in London that summer for the Lambeth conference of Anglican/Episcopalian bishops, the first time US bishops had been invited to participate. He addressed the ‘danger’ of the ‘new rivalry’ in the Olympics: ‘Well, what of it? The only safety after all lies in the lesson of the real Olympia – that the Games themselves are better than the race and the prize. St Paul tells us how insignificant is the prize. Our prize is not corruptible, but incorruptible, and though only one may wear the laurel wreath, all may share the equal joy of the contest. All encouragement, therefore, be given to the exhilarating – I might also say soul-saving – interest that comes in active and fair and clean athletic sports.’

 The sermon did not immediately affect behaviour, a phenomenon known to many preachers. Two more controversies dominated the second week in the 400 metres and the marathon race.

The founder of the modern games, however, had taken note. Coubertin’s speech, at the banquet given by the government on the following Friday to the members of the International Olympic Committee and other dignitaries, drew attention (speaking in French) to that sermon, interpreting Bishop Talbot’s words freely as, ‘The importance of these Olympiads is not so much to win as to take part.’ Coubertin said these words formed the foundation of an important philosophy of life: ‘The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well.’ Gradually, over the next quarter of a century, the Olympic movement adopted this as its credo, in word if not always in deed.

Struggle and triumph

It is the struggle in the desert, as well as the triumph of our God, which has shaped our understanding of our spiritual forebears. The very term ‘jubilee’ comes to us with a Biblical belief in the value of thanking God for graces received like manna from heaven. The important things in life will be showered on us in abundance by the Great Redeemer. The Bread of Heaven will feed us till we want no more. When the Olympics and the Paralympics have come to a close, the best of their values will abide with us. 

Prayer

Use some verses from Henry's Lyte's hymn 'Abide with me'

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile, 

And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,

Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.

On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Questions

• When have you taken part, not to win or stand out, but simply to serve?
• What has impressed you most so far about the Olympics?

Action

Discuss the Olympic Opening Ceremony with as many people as you can, searching together to identify what you learnt from it.

Young People

Can you imagine what it is like to take part in the Olympics?

What enduring contribution would you like to make?

Professor Simon Lee is Chair of the John Paul II Foundation for Sport.

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