With the Tokyo summer Olympics now well and truly over, many will look back over the three-week event and note the many sporting highlights; new world records gained, best personal achievements, and moments of exceptional sporting exhilaration.
But, for Christians viewing the Games, there were other highpoints too, precious moments that occurred away from the field of play. Though little-reported by mainstream media, a significant number of Olympians – from numerous nations around the globe – were committed Christians, and they were quick to accord glory to the King of kings. Prophecy Today referred to several such testimonies in our News page a couple of weeks ago, representing such nations as USA, South Africa, the Philippines, Guatemala, Indonesia and Nigeria.
Welsh gratitude
Another, more recent occasion arose during an interview with Daniel Jervis, who represented Great Britain (and Wales) in the men’s 1500m freestyle. Dan came a respectable fifth in the final. Although disappointed not to have won a medal, the swimmer was quick to give praise to God for his achievement.
The thing I’m most proud of in my life is that I’m a Christian, and obviously God was with me tonight, and I’m just really grateful to be representing him.
After thanking his home village of Resolven, in the south of Wales, and his local Sardis Baptist Church, which he has attended most of his life, where his father serves as a deacon, and where Dan was baptised some years ago, Daniel went on to boldly proclaim his faith in Christ. “The thing I’m most proud of in my life”, he shared with the watching world, “is that I’m a Christian, and obviously God was with me tonight, and I’m just really grateful to be representing him.” View his touching tribute here.
Fiji worship
Another after-event highlight of the Games followed team Fiji winning their second ever gold medal, after they beat New Zealand 27-12 at 7-player rugby. It was an emotional victory for the Fiji players, who had spent five months away from their families while training for the Olympics – the covid pandemic having prevented the players from returning home to avoid the risk of infection.
The Fiji Islands having experienced something of a spiritual revival around the turn of the century, several members of the national rugby team are deeply committed Christians. “We always start with our prayers and songs, and we always end with our prayers and songs” noted captain Jerry Tuwai.
True to form, their Tokyo victory proved no exception, and following their win, the team formed a circle in the centre of the field. Here, to the gaze of the curious world, the men burst forth in a triumphant melodic rendition of the gospel hymn, ‘E Da Sa Qaqa’, which lyrics translate into English, “We have overcome, we have overcome, by the blood of the lamb in the Word of the Lord, we have overcome”.1 Watch the moving rendition here.
Notes
1. One secular website ignored the obvious spiritual aspect of the worship song, referring to it rather as “a traditional Fijian song…. a tribute to their country, which has dealt with a devastating Covid-19 outbreak”.