| OLYMPICS: THE PERILS OF HERO WORSHIP The pressure on the worshipped is heavy especially if he or she is a favorite for a gold medal. Some succeed like the South Korean skater, Kim Yu-Na. She delivered what some said was the greatest woman’s free skate in Olympic history. But now she faces perils of success and hero worship. Pride can crush her as it did Tiger Woods, who said his achievements gave him a false sense of entitlement that put him above others and gave him the right to the pleasures he wanted. The loss of fame, fortune, and character has been sad to watch. Others wilt under the pressure to perform and are crushed. Kim said if she failed, she would not only let down her family, friends and coaches, but the whole nation would turn against her. She came through, but others have suffered for not performing at the right moment. The pressure on the top athletes to perform at the Olympics is heavy, because they only come around every four years. The window of opportunity is very narrow for body and mind to be at peak performance. Worship can also be hard on the worshipper. If the nation’s hero succeeds, the vanquished are angry or sad, and the rest of the world doesn’t care. Apolo Ohno, America’s greatest short track skater is hated in South Korea, and had to pull out of the 2003 World Cup for his own safety. If the nation’s hero fails, the worshipper feels like a failure and loses respect in his own eyes. (The lesser athletes do not carry the same expectations and are even praised for their efforts even though they finish down the list.) The worshipping nation is somehow pulled down by the failure of its heroes. I have often wondered why I am so depressed when my beloved Kansas Jayhawks lose. I know, in part, that my identity is tied up with a mythical bird (Jayhawk). This is silly and foolish, but it happens to all who put their hopes in human achievements. So beware of hero worship in any human arena – entertainment, religion, politics, business or science. It can yield false pride or unnecessary depression. Since we humans have an instinctive need to worship, the best solution is to worship what is worthy, and that is God alone. So enjoy the Olympics, cheer the achievements, but worship God. “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:12) |