Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Gold, Silver, and Eternal Treasures
8:09 AM | Posted by
Anonymous
In the last 24 hours I've seen quite a bit of controversy surrounding the giving of a gold medal. A gold medal. Not two, which seems appropriate for a tie in gymnastics, but one determined by objective numbers given by supposedly not so objective judges.
Thus the controversy.
The issue isn't a gold medal or a silver medal. The real issue seems to be the athlete's being from the host country and the world's suspicion of the host country in general. After all, the host country is China, and they should not be trusted.
I'll be honest. I don't know about Olympic rules. I don't know a lot about gymnasticsl, and I don't know the intricacies of how scores can or cannot be fixed. There are some things I do know, though.
I know China has approximately 1.3 billion people in it.
1 out of every 5 people in the world live in China, and in that group of 1.3 billion people there are those grieving the loss of loved ones.
There are families rejoicing in the birth of a child, and there are couples working through the pain of infertility.
There are people trying to pay their bills and provide food for their families. There are children who want to dream and aren't sure if it is reasonable or not.
There are parents hoping for more for their children than what they had.
There are folks who want to serve God with all their hearts and folks who believe He's a lie.
And of those 1.3 billion people, all of them will die and either go to Heaven or Hell, whether they be the powerful leaders or those barely scratching out an existence on this earth.
I also know the writer and readers of this post can make the difference in some of those lives through the power of prayer. We simply need to see beyond the glitz of gold and silver and see those people as the eternal treasures they are. If we can do that, we all win.
Thus the controversy.
The issue isn't a gold medal or a silver medal. The real issue seems to be the athlete's being from the host country and the world's suspicion of the host country in general. After all, the host country is China, and they should not be trusted.
I'll be honest. I don't know about Olympic rules. I don't know a lot about gymnasticsl, and I don't know the intricacies of how scores can or cannot be fixed. There are some things I do know, though.
I know China has approximately 1.3 billion people in it.
1 out of every 5 people in the world live in China, and in that group of 1.3 billion people there are those grieving the loss of loved ones.
There are families rejoicing in the birth of a child, and there are couples working through the pain of infertility.
There are people trying to pay their bills and provide food for their families. There are children who want to dream and aren't sure if it is reasonable or not.
There are parents hoping for more for their children than what they had.
There are folks who want to serve God with all their hearts and folks who believe He's a lie.
And of those 1.3 billion people, all of them will die and either go to Heaven or Hell, whether they be the powerful leaders or those barely scratching out an existence on this earth.
I also know the writer and readers of this post can make the difference in some of those lives through the power of prayer. We simply need to see beyond the glitz of gold and silver and see those people as the eternal treasures they are. If we can do that, we all win.
Labels:
China,
intercession
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4 comments:
Now that was a great post!! I never thought of like that.... I guess because I dont live there and there are so many different cultures...I never thought of how I could pray for them because of everyday situations like me. I will start praying for all countries. I have prayed to God by asking him to watch over everyone in the world and to help Churches get the word out about God....but about everyday situations...it never came to my mind. You made a difference in my thinking today.Talk to you soon...
We are so blessed in this country, we don't even have a clue at what it would be like to live in those conditions.
I linked you in my T3 post. :)
This issue is one that challenges faith as much or more than physical healing. And yet, we know we are to pray and that it effects change. Thank you for reminding us.
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