Commentary is Deep Care by Stewart Perry
I do love the Olympics. When it rolls around every 4 years I suddenly become excited about sports and athletes that I wouldn’t normally think about at any other time. But this time around things are a little different, it’s being telecast on a different television network. For as long as I can remember Channel 7 have had the rights to the Olympics but this time around Channel 9 have them.
One of my school friends is the on air producer for the “Sunrise” program on Channel 7 and he’s been working on the show since it began all those years ago. We have a “WhatsApp” chat group for my school mates and there’s been much conversation about the commentary at this Olympics. To be fair on my friend, he’s not been the one instigating the comments but he’s been ready to affirm our disappointment that the commentary this time around doesn’t seem quite right.
He shared with us on Thursday this week that Channel 7 is actually getting the complaints about the commentary by people thinking that Channel 7 still have the rights and in particular why aren’t they hearing legendary commentator Bruce McAvaney. He works for Channel 7 and so my friend has had to point out to a number of people that not only do they not have the rights but Bruce doesn’t work for Channel 9 and that’s why he’s not commentating on the Olympics.
I have to admit the swimming doesn’t seem quite the same without Bruce’s dulcet tones building up the drama and then the excited flurry as the race comes to a conclusion. I know it doesn’t impact the result at all but in terms of engaging the audience it makes a massive difference.
Which brings me to the point of this week’s blog. I do think how we as Christians “commentate” on the world around us makes a big difference not only to the way people outside the church see Christians, but also how they see God.
If you were following the swimming like I have been, we saw this week the amazing image of Mollie O’Callaghan inviting Ariarne Titmus onto the Gold Medal Dias to sing the national anthem together. I spoke about the way we can lift others up at a funeral I took this week of a person who was a big swimming fan. But on reflection I wonder whether the main way we can do this is how we talk of the world and how we talk of those around us and how we talk about each other and especially how we talk about those who are different to us.
So let me ask you a question… how do you think that followers of Jesus are commentating at the moment? If I could make it personal… how are you commentating at the moment.
When I look around at the “Christian world” and when I examine myself I can’t but help think that there is far too much negativity and talking down of others coming from Jesus followers. We might not be the instigators but like my friend at Channel 7 we can be quick to affirm the negativity of others.
Speaking well of others, particularly those who are not like us is deep care… it’s possibly one of the hardest aspects of deep care. Yes there is a time for truth telling and constructive criticism which Jesus does model on occasion in scripture but I wonder whether we have the same balance of talk that builds up and talk that tells the truth in love. I wonder whether our “truth telling” of what is going on around us is motivated more by defensiveness than love sometimes.
I do hope that we can reflect on how we talk well of our world and each other. The world is God’s much loved creation and every single human is much loved by God even if they don’t recognise that God loves them. If they don’t recognise that God loves them how much more important it is that they hear from Jesus followers like us, words that lift them up.
Rather than lifting them up to sing a national anthem with us, we lift them up so we can sing the song of God’s grace which God sings over us. As we sing out that song of grace onto our world, with our words and our actions the beautiful harmony that arises from the Church is the sound of deep care subverting the negativity and self focus of the world.
If it does not come from us, who else then will sing the song of God’s grace?
Enjoy the Olympics and the commentary!
Blessings
Stewart