The Winter Olympics flame goes out for another four years, but the fire in our hearts will never be extinguished.
Magical Attraction
The Olympics have a magical attraction that once again drew the world together to watch golden opportunities.
How could you not be thrilled when you saw Jennifer Jones and Team go undefeated in Women’s Curling?
What could top that? The Women’s Hockey Team coming back from 2 goals down with less than 4 minutes to play and winning in overtime! Can you say Poulin for Prime Minister?
Not to be outdone, the Men’s hockey Team came away with a second straight Olympic Gold. 
Sunday Gold
When the Gold medal game began Ron MacLean of CBC said, “Pastors and priests have to work today. Al the rest of Canada will be watching hockey.” This pastor was up at 4:50AM to enjoy every minute of the game and join Canadians around the world who shared Canada’s joy (even in Syria). The Canadian anthem was the only anthem ever played in the Bolshoi Arena.
When Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, won gold, we celebrated like they were our daughters or sisters. Read Cindy Glubish’s insight at RedCarpetLife and Bruce Arthur’s piece on the Dufour-Lapoint family here.
Why does it matter to me that the Canadian Men’s and Women’s hockey teams won gold? Not because it will impact my quality of life, or our trade deficit, or anything “real.” And yet, it does make a difference.
Why?
The sweet, sixteen days of the Winter Olympics can be as close as many people will come to a spiritual experience.
The world has an unspoken longing for the things that really matter. Sport in general and the Olympics in particular, pick up an echo from eternity: swifter, higher, stronger. Sport and faith function similarly in fulfilling a spiritual purpose. Yet, Sport has its limits.
Paul Henderson, the author of Canada’s greatest memories in sport, was on top of the world in 1972. Henderson had scored the winning goals in the final three games of the historic Canada-USSR Hockey Summit and brought a nation to its feet. He also knew an emptiness that confused him. He was left feeling unfulfilled and ultimately unhappy. Henderson was spiritually empty. Not until he became a follower of Jesus did he experience lasting fulfillment. Now, even a battle with leukemia can’t defeat him.
’72 Team Canada member Marcel Dionne, observed, “You see how much stronger he is right now than so many people, it’s incredible. He’s so strong and so completely at peace.”
What are your favourite Winter Olympic memories?
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