A little thing I wrote about The Olympic Creed
**Rowland Croucher**
The Olympic Creed
Who was the American football coach who said: 'Winning or losing is not
just a matter of life and death: it's more important than that'?
Addiction to winning is not only a capitalist phenomenon, either.
Remember past East German and Chinese drug scandals?
The Olympic Creed says: 'The most important thing in the Olympic Games
is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life
is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have
conquered but to have fought well.' Google tells me Pierre de Coubertin
got the idea from a speech given by the Bishop of Pennsylvania,
Ethelbert Talbot, at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908
London Games.
It's a variant on the ancient Chinese proverb, 'The journey is the
reward'. And it's related to the beautiful notion of serendipity ('Look
for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found
is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for'
- Lawrence Block).
Various novels (like Huckleberry Finn) and movies (Thelma and Louise)
play on this theme. Sermons get preached on the wisdom of life as a
journey, not a destination: it's the traveling that's important, not the
getting there.
Well, why are we - individuals and groups and nations - so addicted to
winning? Social scientists say it's a corollary of our tribalism: the
us/them paradigm, which energizes us to assert our superiority over
lesser-others. Theologians put it down to our 'fallenness': the denial
of others' equal value as also created in God's image. The Weber-Tawney
thesis or 'Protestant Work Ethic' tells us we can be whatever we want to
be if we work hard enough - and the more (of whatever) the better. (The
mid-life crisis is getting to the top of the ladder, then realizing it's
leaning against the wrong wall).
We earn the ultimate reward in the next life, not this one, said
Christianity's two greatest theologians, Jesus and St. Paul: in this
life our badge of office is a towel, serving others rather than
dominating them.
Success and/or failure may produce spiritual/emotional health - or they
may not. As Kipling said, they're both imposters. Indeed, in reality
what is perceived as failure is often success, and vice-versa. Our world
is like a shop after young people on Haloween night got in and changed
all the price-tags around. The price and value of winning or losing
don't necessarily relate.
Actually, the essence of the Olympic dream is that 'faster, higher,
stronger' athletes are playing out on a global stage what happens within
us all. We humans have an inordinate need to demonstrate our worth by
performance. We strive to be luminaries, rather than 'letting our light
shine'. We are what we do and achieve. And we have an insatiable
appetite for approval: much of the way we behave is a veiled means of
soliciting compliments. Many spend all their waking hours willing
themselves to succeed or fearing failure. (Our dreams continue these
themes).
I read this on a Blog today: 'Winning isn't everything, but losing
really sucks!' No, winning isn't everything: we also need the faith to
face failure. 'When I am weak, then I am strong', Paul wrote. 'I can do
all things (even fail!) through Christ who strengthens me.'
Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. It was his
life-work, the fulfilment of a consuming ambition. He was once asked how
he'd feel if the Pope suppressed the Society. 'A quarter of an hour of
prayer', he replied, 'and I would think no more of it'. He'd cultivated
a sublime indifference to temporal success or failure.
Shalom/Salaam/Pax!
Rowland Croucher