Faster, higher, stronger … holier?

Published: 08.01.08

One major world event just ended and another is about to begin. Both events draw people from all corners of the globe, but each for a different purpose. World Youth Day brought more than 200,000 youths and young adults to Sydney July 15-20. The Summer Olympics will gather more than 10,000 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators in Beijing for competitions Aug. 8-24.

Some striking similarities make these events more alike than they might seem on the surface. Each is held only every few years – World Youth Day every three years, very Trinitarian; the Olympics every four – and the participants prepare a long time for both journeys.

Many Olympians begin as young children, working out daily, practicing for hours before and after school to hone specific skills and enhance their God-given talents. All is focused toward the Olympic dream, making the team and winning a medal. For participants in World Youth Day, much effort is expended on raising funds for overseas travel, and preparing spiritually for the pilgrimage. World Youth Day may not require a lifelong dedication to participate, but it encourages a lifetime of dedication to Christ and his people even after the experience is over.

Both events garner a lot of media attention. OK, NBC did not pay billions for the broadcast rights for World Youth Day. The Vatican would have turned down such a proposal anyway. The Gospel message isn’t exclusive; it’s not for sale to the highest bidder. Christ said, “Go out and teach all nations.” He did not say, “Go out and make a deal with the networks that give you the most money and best coverage on its family of networks.” So World Youth Day had media coverage galore, including our pilgrim journalists (see page A1) who were among the myriads of those participating in the Masses, prayer vigils, marches and “Days in the Diocese.” Meanwhile, despite China’s assurances that there would be no restrictions on journalists surrounding the Olympics, we’re finding that is not quite true. The New York Times reports, “These promises have been contradicted by strict visa rules, lengthy application processes and worries about censorship.” The truth may set you free, but it may be hard to come by in Beijing.

The most telling difference between the events is the ultimate purpose. The Olympics set out to find the best – the best in the world at various sports contests, including new Olympic competitions in BMX cycling and marathon swimming (count me out), among others. The Olympic creed says, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” However, the athletes heading to Beijing next week want to climb onto the medal stand, for themselves and for their countries, and take home the gold, silver or bronze. They have worked hard all their lives for that.

The Olympic motto – written by Baron Pierre de Coubertin from words of his friend, Dominican Father Henri Martin Didon – is “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (faster, higher, stronger). Each Olympian wishes to run, ride or swim faster; jump or reach higher; and be stronger physically and mentally, than the next competitor. That is not an unworthy goal, for an Olympian.

But for those pilgrims who went to Australia, and for all of us who wish to follow the Lord, we need not be the best, or the holiest. We should strive to be our best, certainly, but we need not be holier than the person next to us. We need to be as holy as God desires for us to be. Life is not a competition. If we all get to heaven, even if we all arrive at the same nanosecond, we all win. That is the finish line. That is the ultimate medal stand.

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