Body Building

Wednesday 25th August 2004

Day 12 of the Olympics already, we've just been informed by Craig Doyle on the BBC's Olympic Grandstand- which this time yesterday was adjusting to life in an earthquake zone! Fortunately, no damage done, but the studio was shaken, not stirred.
The TV coverage does have a certain addictive quality about it, the vicarious pleasure of "being" in Athens and enjoying all the atmosphere, without all the discomfort of temperatures in the high thirties celsius (hard to remember that's what we endured here last year!) though it was good to see a return to old money with Fahrenheit temperatures given during the Women's Triathlon event this morning. That started my day at 8.00 and it was worth seeing through to its shock conclusion two hours later when an Aussie turned Austrian came from nowhere to win against the Antipodean favourite in a sprint finish.

I must say I am full of admiration for the distaff side at these games, who seem to have achieved so much already. Apart from male chauvinism, how and why could they ever have been excluded from the ancient games, let alone from some of the events in the modern ones. Dare we hope for a time where the women can compete on equal terms WITH the men in the athletics, gymnastics and many other sports? Apart from biology, what differentiates them in such tests of endurance? I think it would be very interesting to watch mixed sex races, but dare I suggest it would wound our male ego and pride terminally?

Mind you, sex certainly seems to be the motivation behind the beach volleyball, with the women apparently restricted as to what they can wear by a MAXIMUM clothing provision! It cannot be denied these curvaceous beauties are a sight which makes the sell-out unsurprising, but I'm afraid I find it almost impossible to take the "sport" seriously. Far more appealing to watch, for me, and far more admirable in their athletic achievement, were these tri-athletes who swam first 1500 metres in the sea- beautiful surroundings and a joy to watch during our summerless summer here in the UK, though there were sunny intervals today. Immediately after this, they had to cycle 40 K's round a course which included 1 in 6 hills which for once the camera was able to pick up in pictures.- but it did pick up the cheering site of swimsuited rears! Being serious rather than sexist though, punishing or what: just as well it started early in the day. Finally, 10 000 metres to run to that big finish taken so dramatically by the Alpine wonder.

I must say, I have taken a greater interest in the workings of the human body during these games, and have marvelled more at just what extremes it can be pushed to and what it can endure. This time yesterday, I was looking at a fascinating website which I had heard of before, but never looked at, called "How Stuff Works". In the health section, it had this amazing and informative explanation of how muscles do their stuff- check it out at http://health.howstuffworks.com/muscle.htm

The human body really is an absolute marvel, though of course as a Christian I should not really ever think or expect anything else of such an awesome creator. Was reading this morning my mailing from Bob Snyder from his book "Lessons Learned on the Journey", LLJ for short. He's allowing himself a holiday this month, so these have become monthly mailings. The latest one's at http://www.pursuantgroup.com/ihs/0804_2.htm
and as I read it I thought "how true", remembering how in my own degree course we were told that Theology was once queen of the sciences. What a sad reflection of our times that it is so often now not even a princess, more a lowly pauperess. And yet people's thirst for knowledge of The Almighty must be as strong as ever, especially among today's sixth formers, judging by the inspiring increase in the number of A Level students taking Religious Studies revealed in last week's otherwise controversial results. Maybe the desire to push the body to it's limits is the same desire that drives so many to want to fill that God-shaped hole- we are made to do it. What a pity then that so many instead just drive straight over the pothole and suffer the consequences. Where's the place for "the unknown God" in these Athenian games?

Well, judging from the interview given by one female athlete last night- can't remember which- where she gave due credit to God, he's not unknown at all to some of the competitors, and is making his presence felt very clearly there if you but look, thank you very much, How appropriate that it should be happening at the very place St Paul gave his address to the Areopagean wiseacres, or so they thought, so many centuries ago. God gave us our bodies to use for his glory, not for vainglory, so how refreshing to see true humility at these games, as well as genuine empathy and the best of human potential and fellow feeling. I calculated that though they gather the high-profile headlines, the drug abusers "outed" at the games are in reality but 0.01 per cent of the ten thousand or so taking part.

But it was such a marvellous body, too, that shed blood and died on a cross. I wonder how many others of those who so casually wear their crucifixes round their neck, whether or not accompanied by a medal, will ever stop to ponder this. My prayer today and throughout these games has been for the Christians attending, that the glorious nature of the God Paul preached to Athens can in some way be revealed to those that have ears to hear twenty centuries later.