Ah…I love the Olympics.

I watched the opening ceremonies from Vancouver last night.  On and off, actually.

I didn’t actually see every minute, but I did have some prolonged periods where I was able to give them my attention.  Fortunately, I have them on my DVR system thingy so I’ll be able to catch up later on.

But I saw some of the march of nations and the speeches from the bigwigs…long speeches.  Speeches that had substance and seemed to truly have a serious theme.

A theme of peace.  A theme of togetherness of nations.  Themes of respect for the fallen (Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old luger from the Republic of Georgia).  A theme of moving forward.

A theme of Unity.

Why is it so easy in sport?  We talk about it and talk about it.  We want it as individuals, but when it comes to nations…

How can it be that Iran and Israel can march together on this night, but…

The lack of the greater world’s ability to pull together is so frustrating…KD Lang is singing Leonard Cohen’s lyric, “It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah”.  Mournful sounds at the opening to echo the poignant stirrings within us that suggest that peace is just out of our grasp…

But is it?

Maybe my lament is just business as usual…in other words, it’s a few who ruin it for the rest of us.  A few angry leaders…a few angry nations…a few angry speeches.

I don’t know.  I don’t know what the answer, or the problem, is.

But I will faithfully watch these Olympics and be involved in the drama…and through it all I will keep hoping and praying that someday the world looks like the Olympic games: Not always perfect, not always peaceful, and not always happy…but filled with good intent and, most of all, respect.

-josh