God's Coaching #96

God's Coaching #96

The Olympic Games can be traced back nearly 1,000 years before Jesus was born. Athletes gathered in Olympia, Greece, to run one race—a 632-foot sprint.

The modern Olympics are a fairly recent event. Baron Pierre de Coubertin organized the first modern Olympics just over 100 years ago. On this day in 1896, the modern Olympics began in Athens, Greece. Fewer than 250 athletes from 14 countries competed. James Connolly of the United States became the first Olympic champion as he won the triple jump. James received a silver medal and crown of olive branches for his achievement.

Over the years, the Olympics have grown and changed quite a bit. No women were allowed to compete in the first Olympics. And it wasn’t until the third Olympics that gold, silver, and bronze medals were given to the top three finishers in each event. When the Summer Olympics returned to Athens in 2004, over 10,600 athletes from 201 nations competed in 301 events.

What’s the Score?

Part of Pierre’s reason for creating the modern Olympics was to foster peace. When Pierre designed the official Olympic flag in 1914, he used five connected rings to represent Africa, America, Australia, Asia, and Europe. The white background symbolized peace. The olive branches given to the winners in the first Olympics were also a symbol of peace.

According to some experts, the Bible was the first place that an olive branch was used to represent peace. When God flooded the world, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water was receding. The dove returned the first time. But the second time, the dove came back to Noah with “a fresh olive leaf in its beak” (Genesis 8:11). It was a sign that the Flood had ended and that a new life could begin on earth. God also gave Noah the sign of the rainbow, which was a covenant from God that he would never destroy all life again with a flood.

On the Ball

Aren’t you glad we can live at peace with God? Our sinful actions deserve judgment. But God gives us grace. The next time you see a rainbow or an olive tree, thank God for his covenant of peace.

Coach’s Comment

This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone.Genesis 8:11