A telling silence

As our Olympic athletes return home from Rio, the party is over—and now the PR trail begins…

TV sports journalists and commentators are employed for their remarkable ability to keep up a constant stream of observation, interpretation and analysis about what is happening on the track, court, pitch or water. But did you notice the moments during the Olympics when words failed them?

Before competing, many athletes show make a display of religious commitment. Some bow their heads in prayer; some kiss a cross around their neck or cross themselves in that kinda Catholic way. And after the event, as the camera focuses on their reaction to a win, many bow in thanks to God.

Mo Farah, a devout Muslim, bows in prayer the moment he crosses the line.
Silence.

Usain Bolt, who describes himself as a “Jesus believing Christian,” gives thanks to God after each of his triple triple golds. All the commentator can manage is that “he is having a moment to himself.”

The same media effect happens with interviews for TV and print. I was surprised to discover the number of radiant believers there are among the Olympians. Christians with remarkable testimonies. Christians who trace their motivation and discipline back to their faith in Christ, and who are unashamed to declare it. Athletes for whom faith in Christ has rescued them from a wasted life.

And yet not a sniff of this appears in the mainstream media as they strain to put a secular “personal achievement” spin on things.

We should not be surprised.

Writing to Christians spread across the ancient world, Peter reminds us that we are and always will be “foreigners and exiles” in the world (1 Peter 2 v 11). The world will never understand us—and even when we speak boldly, carefully and precisely about our faith in the Son of God, we will be ignored, reinterpreted or explained away. It’s both frustrating and annoying.

But there’s a right and a wrong reaction to this. What the culture wants us to do, of course, is to shut up about Jesus. And it’s tempting to do just that. When trying to articulate your faith feels like running into a brick wall, it seems a sensible thing to just stop.

Or else we can rage against the unfairness of it all—critiquing the culture, and calling out the media for their bias. There’s a place for that when it’s done with grace and fairness (as one of our authors, David Robertson, did in this article).

Perhaps the best response though is just to persevere with grace, humor and kindness. We need to “own our strangeness”, our foreignness, and not be worried that people think we are deluded or weird. As Peter advises later in his letter:

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 1 Peter 3:15

What do you think A telling silence? Join the conversation and comment below. You can also like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our YouTube Channel, and download The Good Book Company App straight to your phone or tablet.