The Olympic Flag dates back to the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium. It was designed to be universally accepted by all nations and is flown in both the winter and the summer Olympic events.
The five interlinked rings on the flag stand for the continents where all the athletes traveled from to take part in the Olympics. The interlocking rings are symbolic to show that the Games are intended for all nations to be able to come together to compete in a spirit of unity. The five colors of the Olympic Rings, plus the white background, represent at least one color of every nation’s flag in them.
It’s always exciting to see amazing young athletes from different backgrounds come together in an attitude of harmony and peace to compete in the winter and summer games. They represent the very best of their sport and their country as they go for the gold.
But there’s something else that’s for the people of all the nations that’s significantly more important than the Olympic Games. Paul, an early follower of Jesus, writes in Titus 2:11 that “the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation for all people.” (NLT)
God, because of His unconditional love for each person who would ever live, has exposed the precious gift of eternal life to us. Everyone is an equal before God. It’s something you cannot compete for nor attempt to buy.
We - the people of all nations - are continually dependent on God’s grace. And because of His undeserved favor, not one of us has to experience His wrath for our sin even though we deserve it.
The gift of salvation is free for all people of all nations. No one is exempt if they will recognize their need for forgiveness of sin and surrender their lives to Him. We must come to the place in our lives when we admit our sinfulness and the need we have for God’s forgiveness. Then we need to decide to live our lives for and like Jesus.
Have you received God’s gift of eternal life that brings purpose and meaning in this life?
