The Olympics are over. On reflection they were an awesome spectacle but I wonder about their relevance to life for the majority of people living on this planet. 7 billion people, the majority living in absolute poverty. Consider the amount of money spent to entertain people like myself and stroke the ego's of a few successful athletes and countries. Can we justify the billions of whatever currency you like, when quite literally, millions of children, not to mention adults, are dying of starvation. Health issues continue to plague most people on earth, financial strain etc which could be alleviated if the money on earth was spread around more equitably. But this won't happen in my idealistic cynical world, because the basic need of all people is to preserve what they have, be it wealth, security, money, job, freedom etc. Even poor people have a need to preserve the little they have, knowing it could be their last. The bible calls it greed which is a form of idolatry. We all idolise something. I think the Olympic athletes who compete at the highest level; Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Mo Farah, Rudisha and others, live in such an unreal world because it is we who idolise them. We create their worlds for them. We live outside their worlds and yet live off their worlds in our fantasy land. It distracts us from the stress and strain of our own worlds. But it does nothing to create a better, idealistic sure, world for all people. Somehow, that dream of a better world for all, still permeates my soul. It drives me to abstain from the idols of this world. It keeps me awake at night thinking of ways to solve the worlds problems. It makes me feel guilty when I offer cynical comments to events such as the Olympics, but my idealistic cynical nature offers no way out. My faith drags me to irreconcilable places where the actions of people I trust, pushes me further into my cynical corner, alienating me from the very people that my Saviour urges me to embrace. I ask myself why more people can't think like me. The answer comes easily. Because the world cannot handle too many cynics like me.
