What can the Paris Olympics teach Christians about honor?

The first Olympic Games were played around 800 years before the birth of Christ, and they continued until around 400 AD. The Greek and, eventually, Roman games included running, wrestling, chariot racing, and more. Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the games as an international sporting event in 1892.

Now, the world’s most elite athletes compete every four years. The Paris 2024 games will include the new events breaking (break dancing), skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing. Each game honors the three athletes or teams that finish first, second, and third in their respective events

The 2024 games will cost around $8 billion. Stadiums, podiums, medals, tradition, uniforms, living quarters for athletes, and marketing all reflect ways of honoring a handful of people for their athletic ability. What does the Olympics, in all its extravagance, teach us about the nature of honor?

Extrinsic and intrinsic honor

Historically, societies upheld social hierarchies regulated by honor and shame. Honor lifts someone by valuing something intrinsic about them, like their being born to royalty, or extrinsic, like for their contribution to science. While those forces still work in Western cultures today, they are more prevalent in past societies and non-Western cultures. In the West, we tend to emphasize the individual’s inherent worth and equality, no matter their competency, wealth, charisma, or family.

Honor is often bestowed through outward symbols. In ancient cultures, the head of the table was the seat of honor reserved for the patriarch. You can receive honor through nearness, like sitting at a monarch’s right or left hand. Titles, like King and Queen, denote honor. Today, military personnel wear medals to represent their rank and heroic deeds. Honor isn’t always obvious, however. For example, you could show honor by deferring to someone else’s judgment.

In short, honoring something means upholding or elevating its status. Although the specific practices vary from culture to culture, every society uses systems to honor its members. The Olympics exemplifies this concept in the modern world.

What do the Olympics honor?

In Ancient Greece, the Olympics occurred alongside a religious festival honoring Zeus. Ancient Greek influences remain in the Olympics today, of course. For example, Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, is displayed on the 2024 medals.

However, in modernity, the Olympic Games focus on honoring humans for their abilities and recognizing them for their talents, gifts, hard work, drive, and excellence. While sometimes scored by judges, the games nevertheless strive to uphold an objective standard for victory. The games can become a stage to elevate not only the athletes but also the nations the athletes represent.

Athletes can also honor or shame ideologies. For example, the Nazis wanted to support their horrible theory of race that put Aryans as superior. To them, winning in the Olympics would have supported their evil, racialized ideology. Famously, Jesse Owens, an African American runner for the US, beat them handily in Berlin in 1936.

So, does the pagan roots of the Olympics and the honoring of people and nations mean Christians shouldn’t support the games? Not necessarily.

Glorifying God through athletic ability

Through athletic ability, we showcase the power, strength, and precision with which God made us. Our bodies are miraculous, beautiful, impressive works of art that, when pushed to the limit, can perform remarkable feats worth honoring.

The Bible speaks of natural gifting and other blessings in terms of stewardship. Whether you were born with wealth, charisma, or athletic ability, God is the ultimate source and rightful ruler of your gifts (Matthew 25:14–30). So, you should use them to love others and glorify God. Glorifying God means honoring him, both intrinsically and extrinsically.

And many have used the Olympics to do so.

The legacy of Eric Liddell

One of the most famous Olympic athletes, Eric Liddell, the Scottish runner and subject of The Chariots of Fire, honored God through his performance and words. His conviction led him not to participate in the 100-meter sprint since it was held on a Sunday. The British publicly shamed him for his principled, courageous decision. He won bronze in the 200-meter dash but didn’t receive much attention.

Preparing for his final race, the 400-meter, he received an anonymous note: “It says in the Old Book, ‘Him that honours me, I will honour.’ Wishing you the best of success always.” With this encouragement in mind, he won gold. In an interview, he said, “The first half, I run as fast as I can, and the second half, I run faster with God’s help.” Interestingly, the Olympics he ran in were the last time they were held in Paris, in 1924.

Liddell’s simple faithfulness and powerful athleticism honored God on a world stage. The famous movie inspired by his life would win Academy Awards and be memorialized for generations. Liddell went on to become a missionary in China, eventually dying in a Japanese internment camp.

Biblical honor

Nothing is wrong with medals, wealth, or social status in and of themselves. However, none of these represent true honor; all too often, they occur to our spiritual shame. On the other hand, dying in an internment camp is the ultimate expression of shame in the World’s eyes. So, how did God honor Liddell?

Jesus promises a revolutionary kind of honor, where “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30). Where sinners become holy, the poor become heirs in God’s kingdom, the meek inherit the earth, and those who die for their faith receive special honor (Revelation 6:9–11).

From the World’s perspective, we can only honor some at the expense of others. God honored Jesus above everything, yet Jesus is not stingy with his honor. He invites all people who accept his grace to become co-heirs with him. Because we undeservedly share in his honor by becoming sons and daughters of God, we can “outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10).

As for the Olympics, we can celebrate the images of God who tirelessly work to display their athletic ability. Honor them, but know that God deserves the ultimate honor for designing and creating them. Then pray that the Christian athletes will honor God through their performances, words, and deeds.

Remember, the Olympic athletes train “to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Corinthians 9:25).

How are you training to run the race of life for God’s honor?