Olympics

Who doesn’t appreciate a quick round of Rock, Paper, Scissors? Something similar happened on Twitter today:

Took me a sec to figure this out 🙋🏽‍♂️
I did not know that the thing being pushed on the ice – which for years I’ve been referring to as “the gimmick they push” is actually called THE ROCK. Very cool.
But nowhere near as cool as @MattJamilton’s focus, flexibility & hair. LFG!! 🇺🇸🪨 https://t.co/xGVXvQWaHp

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 16, 2022

Matt Hamilton pushed a little curling rock on the Olympic ice in Beijing. NBC tagged Dwayne ‘ The Rock’ Johnson and shared his likeness on the thing being pushed on the ice. Both derive their name from St. Peter whose name is Latin for – you guessed it – The Rock:

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

Thanks to Rabbi Shimon Freundlich, Jewish athletes, coaches, and journalists in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics will have access to nourishing kosher meals.

At the behest of the Olympic Organizing Committee, Rabbi Freundlich worked with Executive Chef Zhang Chunjie (1/2) pic.twitter.com/6fJ4EL6Zg4

— Chabad Lubavitch HQ (@Lubavitch) February 6, 2022

Beijing Rabbi Shimon Freundlich inspects 1,500 meals prepared for visiting athletes, coaches and journalists. He makes sure they are kosher, meaning they follow Jewish ritual standards.

“While the Olympians take care of their physical fitness, we’ll make sure their spiritual fitness is kept in shape.”

Freundlich tells Chabad.org

I wish the great Olympic and Paralympic family a unique experience of human fraternity and peace. May the Games help everyone overcome prejudices and fears and make our communities more welcoming and inclusive.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 3, 2022

The Roman Catholic Church is a global institution just like the International Olympic Committee. Both are organized in national bodies under a global roof. It only makes sense that Francis joins with a message of global peace.

Honor of a lifetime indeed. https://t.co/8CTSvuZmRM

— John Shuster (@Shoostie2010) February 2, 2022

John Shuster was just named the male American flag bearer for the Beijing winter Olympics. In a recent Peacock documentary, skip confessed:

I’ve never prayed before a curling game in my entire career. And I found myself praying, “give myself and my teammates strength to come out there and be the team that we worked so hard to be.”

John Shuster in American Rockstars, episode 4

The President of the United Nations General Assembly made a solemn note in connection with the observance of the Olympic Truce:

The ancient Greek tradition of the #OlympicTruce – “Ekecheira”, is a hallowed principle of the Olympic Games.

Today, I made a solemn appeal to #UNGA to observe the #OlympicTruce for the Olympic Winter Games @Beijing2022 (27 Jan to 20 March)

Read appeal👉https://t.co/lNtyppnBIj pic.twitter.com/LaeMfw41p9

— UN GA President (@UN_PGA) January 20, 2022

Since the eighth century B.C., a hallowed principle of the Olympic Games was to cease fighting. Sports bring a glimpse of peace to the world.

The Olympic movement mourns the death of Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town – and the 1984 Nobel Peace laureate – Desmond Mpilo Tutu. Tutu was one of the leaders of the candidature of Cape Town for the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2002, he was a bearer of the Olympic flag in. He also took part in the flame-lighting ceremony for the Olympic Games Athens 2004 in Ancient Olympia.

The Anglican Church of South Africa prayerfully remembers Tutu by the epitaph he once chose for himself:

He laughed,

He cried,

He loved.

Each board boasts a vial’s worth of Hawk’s DNA, mixed in with the paint for the decks. https://t.co/g0V5A7THmu

— Input (@inputmag) August 24, 2021

“My blood shed for you…” Who said it better?

In Jesus’s mouth the phrase has been familiar and repeated billions of times over two millennia. Tony Hawk on the other hand sold his “soul”, including his life energy as symbolized by his blood to a beverage company. They paint skateboards with it by infusing ink with the skating god’s blood.

The Paralympic Games start in Tokyo tomorrow and athletes have a variety of advocacy needs. The IPC rules, following IOC language, currently state:

No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Paralympic venues or other areas related to the Paralympic Games.

IPC Handbook

We at PlayerPrayers have been outspoken advocates for free expression in the sporting arena since we first objected to FIFA’s ban of religious expression in March 2007.

Today, we joined athletes, 150+ global experts, and leading sport and social change organizations to #AmEndSec2point2 The full-length letter, including a list of signatories, supporting organizations, and athlete supporters, can be accessed here.

Here are some moments at #Tokyo2020 where athletes shared their faith on the world’s stage. https://t.co/Z2fSkHQZwl

— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) August 10, 2021

“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” is an admonition Jesus gives according to John 14:1. NPR’s Linda Holmes reminds her listeners that the same thing applies to Olympic archers: The athletes “have to lower their own heart rates to stay steady.” Thanks to new technology, fans were able to monitor the competitors’ heart rate on TV for the Tokyo Olympics. Linda Holmes observes, “Lowering your heart rate is one thing; lowering your heart rate while everyone watches you try to lower your heart rate resembles not just an anxiety dream, but an anxiety dream about having anxiety.” What helps you calm down?