Imagine All The People . . .

I know I'm a day late (several days, really) and a dollar short (I'm usually a dollar short) with this post, but I couldn't resist talking about the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. I normally skip over the fanfare of the opening ceremonies because it is a little dry for my taste. I watched this opening ceremony while I was waiting for my husband to get home on Saturday (ah, the beauty of TiVo). I sat astounded as I watched the spectacle.

I have to say that I was mesmerized by the coordination of so many people working in unison. As the cubes bounced up and down with such amazing precision, I sat trying to figure out if the effect was produced by hydraulics or some other modern ingenuity only to be dumbfounded when it was revealed that it was all done by Chinese performers. I have to say that the best part was watching the little boy march around the stadium with Yao Ming. To think that this little boy saved the lives of two of his fellow classmates is overwhelming.

I love the Olympics. I love the rivalries. I love seeing the native dress from all over the world. I love the personal stories that cause me to root for someone from halfway around the globe to win an Olympic medal. I love the emotion when those athletes mount the medal stands to receive their hard won rewards and then tear up as they hear their country's anthem played. Most of all, I love the beautiful faces representing all of humanity on an international stage.

I suppose of all the televised events this one makes me long the most for heaven. Weird, huh?!? Not really, in the few days that the Olympics last we allow ourselves to put aside some of the animosity and preconceived ideas about other cultures. Instead, we look on the faces of people just like ourselves but with slightly different accents and maybe a preference for some foods I wouldn't consider delicacies. It just makes me think about how varied and beautiful heaven will be.

I suppose for now I will go on living vicariously through the Olympic Games. Thanks to the advent of splitting the summer and winter Olympics, I am able to relive this experience every two years. So, if you wonder where I've disappeared to over the next week and a half, I'm admiring my future neighbors and cheering on Michael Phelps!