"Mockery at the Paris Olympics: A Disrespect to Christianity?"

2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts..."

I find it extremely unsettling and quite disturbing that Christianity is the only 'religion' that is continuously mocked and disrespected. However, we must remember that God has already forewarned us.

The Paris Olympics is an event that almost everyone in the world with access to a TV or the internet would have tuned in to watch the opening ceremony. I, however, did not, as it coincided with a period of fasting and prayer for me, during which I refrained from watching TV to fully commit to the transformation this time always brings.

After my fasting week concluded, I heard about the opening ceremony from my peers and decided to look it up. The Paris Olympics showcased a skit with drag performers' allegedly inspired by the Last Supper. My question is: what about the Last Supper inspired you?

This is more than merely recreating an image. It is about recreating an image that represented the final meeting of Jesus and his disciples before he was mocked, beaten, and crucified to save the sins of those who followed, betrayed, loved and hated him.

Whether you believe in the word of God or not, respect should be a given, especially towards a faith whose greatest commandment is love. To me, this solidifies the notion that Christianity is attacked so vehemently because it is the truth and the way. Nothing and no one goes so hard against something without merit; the devil only attacks what threatens his position, and the same can be said for society.

The artistic director, Thomas Jolly, stated he was not inspired by Da Vinci's Last Supper painting but rather by a pagan feast linked to the historical Olympics. Let’s extend grace to Thomas, as Jesus urged us to, and accept that this was his intention. 

However, considering the vast team involved in creating such an event—from concept to rehearsals and final approvals—how could no one see the potential correlation?

In my opinion, this was a clear mockery of Christianity and the blackout that followed, leaving only the cathedral lit, symbolised the power God holds in heaven and on earth.

To every non-believer in Jesus Christ: you don’t have to believe—that is your choice. However, just as this world fights so ardently for respect regarding preferred pronouns, whom you choose to love, gender identity, feminism, other religions, and so forth, we may not all share the same beliefs, but we should share the same respect.

Written by: Marina Townsend