Potentially unpopular opinion: I loved the opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
I watched it with my family Friday night. I enjoyed seeing the boats full of athletes make their way down the Seine and watching the variety of performances and the artistic videos and storytelling. I literally cheered a few times, like during the scene featuring my favorite musical, “Les Miserables.” And I got emotional during the lighting of the innovative cauldron and again during the powerful performance from Celine Dion. I was so impressed that I posted a few things on my social media about how much I enjoyed it before going to bed.
So I was a bit surprised when I got online the next day and found out that other people were not as enthusiastic as I was, to say the least. More than that, I had people replying to my post telling me the opening ceremony was horrible and blasphemous.
Honestly, I was confused at first. But the more I looked, the more I saw people reacting to what they perceived to be a mockery of Christianity, particularly through what was interpreted as a portrayal of the Leonardo da Vinci painting “The Last Supper.”
As I looked and listened further, I heard many other people, including those behind the Olympics and organizers of the opening ceremony, clarifying that the scene in question was actually a representation of the Greek god Dionysus, the god of wine and parties.
That debate has raged on over the last few days, with most people seeming to lean towards the opinion that the entire scene — which included drag queens, a fashion show, and a blue man covered in vines — was only a reference to Greek mythology and artwork portraying it. Others maintain that at least the one moment was a parody of “The Last Supper.”
The organizers of the opening ceremony have apologized for the offense caused, which those offended have taken as further proof that the comparison was deliberate. Even in the apology though, I haven’t seen any direct confirmation from the organizers that a “Last Supper” parody was the intent.
As I have continued to listen to perspectives and discuss the issue with people online over the last few days, I honestly have gotten more and more frustrated, particularly by the people who remain outraged and are calling for boycotts of the Olympics as a whole or finding even more obscure details in the ceremony to call out as “Satanic” or an attack on Christianity.
Many of those who know me are aware that I grew up and spent most of my life in a very conservative Christian environment. Many of those who know me now are aware that I no longer hold to many of the beliefs I grew up with, even though my faith remains important to me.
So these days I often seem to find myself in the middle of understanding both the perspectives I once held and the perspectives I hold now. But I also find myself increasingly frustrated with the way many Christians react to things, and the response to the opening ceremony was a prime example.
First, I genuinely believe the whole incident was a case of having a knee-jerk reaction based on assumptions without taking the time to listen or investigate further. Being this quick to take offense, feel personally attacked, and lash out in retaliation isn’t helpful to anyone. But we see this kind of reaction more and more these days. All it does is cause anger and division, often where none is warranted.
Another point I personally don’t understand is why Christians are so defensive of a painting. It’s a beautiful work of art which is iconic and historically important, yes. But it’s not canon or part of the Bible or church doctrines, and it’s also not accurate (primarily because Jesus wasn’t white). The painting has also been reinterpreted, parodied, and actually mocked numerous times, but I’ve never heard any response, let alone this level of outrage. I believe the main reason for that is actually because of homophobia and increasingly dangerous rhetoric surrounding drag queens, but that’s a topic for another day that will get me into even more arguments.
But one of my main points of concern in how Christians are reacting to this situation, and so many others, is the level of anger and lack of love. Jesus told His disciples that people would know they followed Him because of their love. When His disciples wanted to defend Him and call down fire from heaven on people they perceived as a problem, Jesus rebuked them. God doesn’t need us to defend Him. He doesn’t ask us to get angry and boycott things other people do. He asks us to radically love and accept people.
And in a way, isn’t the opening ceremony itself a symbol of love and unity? It’s an event that seeks to bring the world together, to overlook differences and find points of commonality. Isn’t that something Christians should celebrate? Isn’t that something we all desperately need?
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