Summer Olympic Games, London 2012
/“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.
The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.”
The Summer Olympic Games, London 2012
We stand as witnesses now to "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" to quote the famous lines from the ABC Wide World of Sports television broadcasts.
Now unfolds a time of human endeavor that ranges from the sublime to the mundane. Olympic records are broken and gold medals are won and 150,000 condoms are handed out to the 10,000 athletes. Human events transpire at the, oh, so human level.
This display of human spirit touches my heart at its most symbolic aspect, even though I am not terribly athletic and have never played team sports. For me, it really isn't so much about the sports themselves, although discovering more about them is delightful, but rather the energy with which they are played.
Displayed before us is an inspiring array of human discipline, persistence and training. These are the same attributes that help us meet the challenges of the spiritual journey.
We celebrate the victories and share the disappoints; human hearts are elated and crushed. It's a reflection of the struggles of our own lives.
Goodwill Between Nations
We share the love people have for their countries and celebrate our differences.
We embrace and enjoy our diversity. The Olympic message, at its core, embodies this principle of celebrating our differences while embracing our oneness.
The Olympic Flame Burns Bright
At the center of these Games, there is a fire burning day and night in the cauldron at the Olympic stadium. This is the Olympic Flame that was lit from the sun in Greece and carried with dedicated care throughout the British Isles.
For those who wish to go deeper, it is an outer flame that also represents the inner flame within each of us, within humanity, our planet and animal kingdoms, and at the heart of our own solar system.
Off we go in the celebration of us.
