Friday, August 01, 2008

The Olympics, Human Rights, and Holy Mischief (by Jarrod McKenna)

Life magazine said it was one of the most influential images of the 20th century. Two African Americans and one white Australian took to the winner’s dais and, motivated by their shared faith, all wore Olympic Project for Human Rights buttons while the black Americans raised their fists.

Gold medal-winner Tommie Smith and bronze medal-winner John Carlos approached Peter Norman after the race. They asked if the Australian believed in God, if he believed in human rights, and if he would join their witness. Norman explained to Carlos and Smith that he had been raised in the Salvation Army, where service to Christ was never separated from service to the poor and the hurting, that he understood the importance of their cause, and that he would be honored to join them.

Gold medal-winner Dr. Tommie Smith, in his book Silent Gesture, explains the symbols of their prophetic actions that call back to the faithful creativity and holy mischief of Hosea, Jeremiah, Amos, and Jesus himself in confronting the unredeemed "Powers":

* Olympic Project for Human Rights button. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated earlier that year. With that sentiment in mind, all three men wore Olympic Project for Human Rights buttons connecting the struggle of African Americans to those everywhere suffering for human rights. * No shoes. What is often missed is that both American athletes took to the podium with no shoes as a prophetic sign of the poverty and suffering of black people. * Black gloves. The gloves were not simply about people power (though certainly not less than that), but also about the cry for freedom to the God who hears and acts on the cries of the oppressed. Be it in Egypt many centuries ago or in China today. * Bowed heads. Smith writes that the bowed heads was a sign of prayer. The kind of dangerous prayer that longs for God's reign of justice, peace, and joy "on earth as it is in heaven."

The actions of all three men cost them dearly. As documented in Matt Norman’s brilliant new film, Salute, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were kicked out of the athletes' village, suspended and banned from the Olympics. For the Australian Peter Norman, participating in the organised action cost him his athletic career and he was not chosen for the next Olympics despite being one of the fastest men in the world.

Just as Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life earlier in 1968, so these three men lived out the costly truth of the cross. As Dr. King put it,

There are some who still find the cross a stumbling block, others consider it foolishness, but I am more convinced than ever before that it is the power of God unto social and individual salvation.

As the Olympic Games in China draw closer let us remember the witness of these courageous athletes, what it cost them, and how important it is that we cheer on our athletes. Not simply cheer them on in their sporting events, but also in taking what often are unpopular Christ-like actions that prophetically call for the end of injustice. In doing so they witness to another world being possible. A world that reflects the verse that Peter Norman would wear on his tracksuits, that "God is Love" and that in Jesus this love has started to "flood the earth like the waters cover the seas."

Jarrod McKennaJarrod McKenna is seeking to live God’s love. He’s a co-founder of the Peace Tree Community, serving with the marginalised in one of the poorest areas in his city, and is the founder and creative director of Empowering Peacemakers (EPYC), for which he has received an Australian peace award in his work for peace and (eco)justice. Filed Under: activism, Black Power Salute, John Carlos, Olympics, Peter Norman, Tommie Smith posted by God's Politics 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (16) | arrow

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Category: Culture, Human Rights, Race Am I Liberal or Conservative? Or Both? (Part 1, by Romal Tune)

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I remember when this happened in the Olympics and all the chatter that it caused. I PRAY that it does not happen again at these games. The Olympics as there for the 'love of sport' and not to provide a pulpit for everyone and their need to promote or make a statement. I believe that being a Medalist at the olympics will give them the stage they need after the games conclude to express their passions to people that want to hear their story about getting to the games and their life in general.

What if everyone that won stood on the dias and hear their national anthem and the crowd looked on as they did their gesture or expression to draw attention to them and them only. What about all the participants that did not place that will not be able to make their gesture so that the world will know that they have a cause.

The olympics should be a-political, a-religious, etc. They should just be for the love of sport. It is one of the few times in the calander where the ground is level for all who participate and their abilities determine the outcome - not their nationality, gender, income, education - just sport.

Blessings and safety to the spectators and participants starting 8-8-08

make good choices - .

Posted by: nice guy | August 1, 2008 3:26 PM

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I pray that it DOES happen again and that every athlete from every country demonstrate to China and to all the world that Human Rights are not negotiable. This is not a political, religious or regional view but a Human View.

Not only should those athletes who medals where stripped away from them be restored, the Olympic Committee should publicly apologize for misrepresenting the purpose of the protest. I saw it when it happened and I stood up and cheered as it was being done. I saw the oppression of Blacks in America, supported MLK and agreed with them then and I still do. Human Rights are every-body's right and the responsibility of ever man woman and leader.

Posted by: August 1, 2008 3:48 PM

More opinions, see http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/08/the-olympics-human- rights-and.html#comments