2008 Summer Olympics

I watched part of the closing ceremony last night for the 2008 Summer Olympics that took place in Beijing. I was completely blown away by the beauty and grace of what I beheld. That imagery was encapsulated in a moment for me that I will hold on to forever. There were other moments that held me spellbound as well, and in general, I came away with a renewed feeling of hope for what I believe is inevitable -- world peace.

One of the commentators spoke of it at the close of the broadcast and he said it so well, it led to this post. The sheer magnitude of what the Olympics can offer the world in terms of an idea of what world peace can look like is compelling. Just think about the diversity represented during the past two weeks and the ways our various nations and cultures integrated into a collective model of humanity. Where have we ever been presented with such an exemplary case study in successful human relations?

I don't know about you, but I am convinced that the world is a better place than we see represented on television news shows. I know the world is not a happy place for some of us and my optimism is not some misguided attempt at making an argument with anyone about the state of the world. I just feel good about our prospects in spite of what some may say.

Call me crazy and I might just agree with you. Most, if not all, of the people down through history who ever spoke of world peace as a real possibility were called crazy... or they were killed. We, as humans, sometimes do act crazy, but I feel that the craziness is in believing that peace is impossible. Nothing is impossible and I expect that we will all be one step closer to real peace once we see the possibility of it.

What I witnessed during this recent Olympic event was only possible because people believed that it could be done. So many people, so many venues, so much logistical preparation, so much effort by so many... it was something that I will always remember. So many individuals committed to the vision of the larger purpose. Wow.

If we were to decide to commit to the larger purpose, in cooperation with what God is already doing, that purpose being the creation of a planet filled with love, the world as we know it today would change "in the blink of an eye." It doesn't take a high-profile hero like Michael Phelps to create the change, it takes regular everyday heroes like you and me.

The world needs more heroes. Decide to be one today.

Peace -- jb

Join my blog network on Facebook