I love the Olympics. Especially the summer Olympics. Swimming. Tennis. Basketball. What’s not to love?
When I heard that Beijing won the bid to host the Olympics, I was thrilled for China. I thought that this could be a great thing for a country that is so misunderstood, for a country that is essentially hidden away from the rest of the world due to it’s hard-lined government.
Some of what is going on is good. In bookstores in the US, one finds a bunch of books about China–about their culture, politics, history. China has a fascinating history that, at least when I was a kid, we didn’t learn too much about. The food of China–not what you find at your local “Chinese” restaurant, but what you find deep in Chinatowns all over–is amazing.
Some of what is going on reveals China for what it really is. The Christian athletes can’t bring their Bibles. I have a sneaking suspicion that they will be doing a lot of searching of bags. I wonder how many people entering China for the Olympics are going to disappear…that happens everyday to missionaries and westerners in China. How will our government deal with China after the government is revealed for what it really is? Will finances win over human rights violations?
While I can’t wait to see all of the competitors from all over the world with one common goal–to win gold–I am holding my breath and praying that this isn’t one of the biggest debacles in Olympic history. Though–from what I know of the Asian culture–I’m sure that they’ll pull it off and come out of it looking good, no matter what happens behind closed doors.
Deneen White 