The 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremonies: Two Central Issues 

I’m sure that by now you’ve heard about the controversial Paris Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Here’s how the New York Times described the event.

A performance during the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on Friday has drawn criticism from church leaders and conservative politicians for a perceived likeness to Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of a biblical scene in “The Last Supper,” with some calling it a “mockery” of Christianity. In the performance broadcast during the ceremony, a woman wearing a silver, halo-like headdress stood at the center of a long table, with drag queens posing on either side of her. Later, at the same table, a giant cloche lifted, revealing a man, nearly naked and painted blue, on a dinner plate surrounded by fruit. He broke into a song as, behind him, the drag queens danced.

As I see it, there are two primary issues related to this controversy.

1. What was the controversial performance depicting?

2. What is a relevant biblical response? Where do we look in the Bible for a comparable event and for a principled response?

The more I examine the depiction, the more I’m inclined to conclude there were multiple inspirations for the scene.

It is also my conviction that regardless of the specific inspiration for the scene, the scene has numerous aspects that legitimately concern Christians.

The major question I want to prayerfully and biblical consider is:

“What is a Christlike (or Apostle Paul-like) response?”

Issue #1: What Was the Controversial Performance Depicting? 

If we’re going to discern a relevant biblical response, then we first need to do our best to determine what the performance was depicting.

Since the initial responses, there has been considerable debate as to whether the scene focused on Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” or on “The Feast of the Gods” by 17^th Century Dutch painter Jan van Bijlert. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, has denied the scene was inspired by da Vinci’s “The Last Super.”

“It’s not my inspiration and that should be pretty obvious. There’s Dionysus arriving on a table. Why is he there? First and foremost because he is the god of celebration in Greek mythology and the tableau is called ‘Festivity’,” explained Jolly. “He is also the god of wine, which is also one of the jewels of France, and the father of Séquana, the goddess of the river Seine,” he continued. “The idea was to depict a big pagan celebration, linked to the gods of Olympus, and thus the Olympics.”

Jolly also stated,

He was meant to be Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and pleasure, who was father of Sequana, the goddess of the River Seine. “The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus,” Jolly told the BFM channel.

Some accept these statements from Jolly. Others do not. For some discussions on what inspired the scene, see:

• An Olympics Scene Draws Scorn. Did It Really Parody ‘The Last Supper’? at The New York Times.
• Olympics Opening Ceremony Artistic Director Says Controversial Tableau Was Not Inspired by ‘The Last Supper’ by Melanie Goodfellow.
• Paris Olympic Creator Defiant, Denies ‘Last Supper’ Reference by the Digital Journal.
• Being Offended by Offensive Things Is Good, Actually by Ed Stetzer.

For various responses by Christians, see: 

• Disappointed and Saddened by the Opening of the 2024 Olympics by Pastor Kevin Carson.
• Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony a ‘Clear Mockery’ of Last Supper by Bishop Robert Barron.
• Speaker Johnson Blasts Olympics for Mocking Christians, Last Supper at The Hill.
• A Mockery of the Christian Faith: Believers Outraged by Olympics Opening Ceremony Act at Premier Christian News.
• Hey Christian—Be Vexed by the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Be Very Vexed by Stephen McAlpine.

Issue #2: What Is a Relevant Biblical Response? 

I believe that the Apostle Paul’s response in Acts 17 is a relevant place for us to look for a comparable event and for a principled, relational, gospel-centered response.

If the scene was intended to reflect and mock the Lord’s Supper, then Paul’s response in Acts 17 is relevant.

If the scene was intended to depict “a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus,” then Paul’s response in Acts 17 is even more relevant.

Greatly Distressed to See That the World Is Full of False Worship 

In Romans 11:13, Paul calls himself “the apostle to the Gentiles.” In Acts 17:16-34, we witness a primary example of how Paul preached the gospel to the unbelieving Greco-Roman world of his day.

He’s in Athens at the Areopagus—a small, stone-covered hill used as a forum for philosophers to debate and for city officials to hold trials. The name Areopagus is Greek for “Ares Hill” and the Roman name is “Mars Hill.” We join the narrative moments before Paul gets to Mars Hill. 

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16).

While waiting for his traveling companions, Paul witnesses false worship which disturbs his soul. The verb behind “greatly distressed” is the root of the noun from which we get our word “paroxysm.” It is sometimes translated by “sharp contention” and other times by “provoked.” It describes a sudden, powerful, and even violent expression of strong feeling.

What Did Paul Do with His Great Distress? 

If social media existed back then, what would Paul have tweeted? If podcasts and blogs existed back then, what would Paul have written or said?

We don’t have to guess.

Paul Preached the Good News of the Resurrected Christ 

Picture Paul. He sees a city filled with idols. Or, picture Paul today—he sees a world filled with false worship. He is greatly distressed. What does he do? What does he tweet? What does he blog or podcast about? Paul’s response was to share the gospel.

“So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, ‘What is this babbler trying to say?’ Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection” (Acts 17:17-18).

Leading with Good News Led to Good Questions 

The Athenians were intrigued.

“Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean’” (Acts 17:19-20).

I wonder what type of social media responses we might offer today that would motivate non-believers to ask us for a reason for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15)?

What type of response might we make today to the Olympic opening ceremonies that could lead non-Christians to say,

“May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?”

We Are All Worshipers 

Be careful when you ask a preacher to preach! The Athenians asked. Paul responded.

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you” (Acts 17:22-23).

I picture Paul watching the 2024 Paris Olympic Opening Ceremonies on his cell phone. He’s not surprised that people who do not worship Christ…do not worship Christ.

Paul is not “offended” at them, as in, “Boy, you’ve been mean to me and all Christians by worshiping like a non-Christian!” He’s distressed—for them! Paul wants non-Christians who celebrate the false “joy” of false worship to know the fulness of joy of true worship of the true God.

Rather than angrily targeting unbelievers with weapons of rejection, Paul joyfully shares with unbelievers the wonders of the resurrected Christ.

“Let Me Introduce You to the True Festival!” 

The “god” the Athenians worship in ignorance, Paul introduces to them as the joyful Creator!

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:24-25).

In response to the Paris Olympics, Paul tweets:

“Don’t bother bringing food to the festival to feed God. He doesn’t need your offerings. But He so loves the world that He gives everyone life and breath and everything else—especially His only begotten Son!”

“I’ve Been Listening to You. Listen to God.” 

How was Paul able to connect in such a way that the Athenians wanted to hear more? He listened to them.

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring’” (Acts 17:26-28).

Paul quotes from the Cretan philosopher Epimenides, and from the Stoic philosopher Aratus. What they “know” in “ignorance,” Paul explains in fulness. Paul introduces false worshipers to the true God—the Sovereign Creator who seeks worshipers. In this, Paul follows Christ’s evangelism model.

“‘Woman,’ Jesus replied, ‘believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’ The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you—I am he’” (John 4:21-26).

“Return Home.” 

Paul then calls on those who worship a false father to return home in repentance to the One True Father. They are prodigal sons and daughters who can return home to the Father because of the resurrected Son.

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:29-31).

Paul does not say, “all worship is right worship.” Paul does not apologize for exposing false worship.

Paul commands that false worshipers “apologize”—repent. In the context of his previous words to them, this is not a message of rejection. It is a message of invitation. “Come home.”

Dionysius Celebrated with Christ! 

I could not help but see the remarkable fact that one of those who repented of false worship and returned home to Christ was named Dionysius!

“When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, ‘We want to hear you again on this subject.’ At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others” (Acts 17:32-34).

Thomas Jolly said that he was seeking to depict Dionysus, the god of celebration.

Named after the false god Dionysus, the similarly named Dionysius, who has been celebrating false gods, now returns home to the true God of celebration.

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:31-32).

Responding to Bad News with Good News! 

When we hear the bad news of false worship in Paris, how do we respond?

Do we respond only with the bad news of condemnation, or do we offer the good news of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection?

In our great distress, do we highlight how offended we are, or are we distressed and concerned for prodigal sons and daughters?

Do we verbalize our outrage, or do we verbalize God’s invitation?

In our distress and concern, let’s invite others home to celebrate the One True God of Celebration.

Let’s invite others to know Christ so they can join us in celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

WWJD?

In today’s post, I looked at Acts 17 to see what would Paul do? Here’s a link to a follow-up post where I look at 1 Peter 1-5 to see how Jesus responded to mocking. WWJD: How Did Jesus Respond When the World Mocked Him?