Olympic Opening Ceremonies

The opening ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 summer Olympics were a splendid, visual feast! The colors, the lights, the costumes, the movement were all superior and left me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. I found it particularly moving and symbolic to see the parade of athletes walking in the stadium and across an area of wet paint. The movement and direction of their footprints formed a gentle arc of a rainbow on the ground. It became a sign and symbol of athletes the world wide, representing many different lives, cultures, and colors coming together as one in peace. This of course made me think of how we try to visually stimulate and engage through color and symbols for times that we come together in community to worship God. I am thankful that God has given us the ability and direction to include the visual to draw us closer to Him in worship!