Why I appreciate the Olympics

A lot of people, especially in religious circles, are quick to dismiss the Olympic games as something very superficial and negative which encourages the worship of the physical body rather than the spiritual essence of a person. I disagree.

Yes, those people are right. In their earliest origins, Olympic games were first and foremost part of Greek culture of the worship of the physical body. That being said, I think that the current format of the Olympic games is about something much deeper. In the Olympic games nowadays, we don't have different individuals combating to show they have the greatest physical abilities in the world. Rather, we have individuals representing their countries in a competition - representing their nations in order to bring some pride to their countries.

These individuals care less about personal success and much more about national pride. Except for the few spectacular phenomenons such as Michael Phelps, people do not even remember the names of the winners. What we remember is the drama of the battle in the medal counts. In Israel's case, when we are proud of an Olympic winner, it is not so much because we admire his physical strength, but because we are proud of Israel's achievement in producing such an incredible athlete.
I won't deny the fact that that the focus on athletics in the Olympic games is a focus on something which is not the essential thing in life. Of course, the spiritual is much more essential than the physical. However, I do think the Olympic games bring out a great feeling of national pride, which is one of the most important feelings for an individual to have. I encourage everyone to keep cheering for the Israeli Olympic team. Even if all we currently have is one bronze medal, the simple fact of cheering for our Olympic team can be a great way to motivate our national pride.

May our spiritual strength only surpass our physical accomplishments but may our physical accomplishments be great so that they may also inspire a deep pride in our incredible nation.

What is your opinion on the Olympics?