Paris, We Have a Problem
Pagan gods Don’t Matter… Do They?
Onto the world stage has again slid the quadrennial spectacle that is the Olympics. Quickly in tow has been no short supply of controversy, from chromosomal boxer anomalies, to Israeli athletes safety issues, to how in the world is LeBron doing this at his age?!
Presumably, though, you’re thinking of the one.
Yep. The opening ceremony.
*Inhale through nostrils*
Alright. We can do this. I think.
Replete with all kinds of provocative, perverse and pagan imagery, a growing controversy has bubbled, but within the Church. Many Christians are explaining away or even defending the depictions from Paris. They say this wasn’t about DaVinci’s the Last Supper, and even if it was, we shouldn’t be angry at blasphemy, but just love the blasphemer. It’s all inconsequential.
On the other hand, you have some Christians expressing a lot of outrage at depravity… and that’s about it.
The trap of mutual exclusivity has been set. But there’s a middle way.
Now apparently, people just coming right out and saying they were intent on a spoof of Jesus’ Passover meal isn’t enough for some people. But regardless, the fruit is right there, dangling from the tree. All you have to do is open your eyes to it.
The pertinent questions for us to wrestle through are:
— When unbelievers create wanton imagery directed towards or about Jesus, should believers rightfully feel anger or disgust and express these views?
— When unbelievers create wanton imagery that venerates pagan gods, should believers rightfully feel anger or disgust and express these views?
— If the answer to any of the above questions is “yes,” is that all? What else should we do?
Once you were called “the eldest daughter of the Church,” but Paris, we have a problem.
The first two questions should prove pretty easy fare to handle.
Jesus deserves humanity’s adoration, not its mockery.
God the Father and God the Holy Spirit express mutual love and adoration for God the Son. As followers of Jesus, we should emulate the character of the Godhead and submit to the Spirit’s cultivation in our lives. It is obvious that God dislikes being dishonored. He doesn’t like immorality and sin. It even makes Him… dare I say it? Angry. *gasp!*
And before you hit me with a “no, God only was angry with unfaithful Israel” or “Jesus only got angry with the Jewish religious leaders,” check your Bible. God keeps record of the wickedness of pagan peoples1 and holds them accountable for their actions apart from the covenant community.2 Later still, Ananias and Sapphira, inside the community, were killed for their act of dishonor.3 My point = God takes all human sin and rebellion seriously.
So first off, yes, we can and should be frustrated and angry about our Lord being ridiculed.
Next, about the pagan representations. Creatives for Paris 2024 have come out of the woodwork, walking back talk of the Last Supper and claiming there were other inspirations (which is obvious).
Thomas Jolly, the opening ceremony director, insisted in an interview with France's BFMTV that "The Last Supper" was not the inspiration behind the scene, explaining that "Dionysus arrives at the table because he is the Greek God of celebration," adding that the particular sequence was entitled "festivity."
"The idea was to create a big pagan party in link with the God of Mount Olympus.”4
Dionysus (aka Bacchus) was the Greek god of wine, party-animal indulgence, and absolute ecstatic insanity with no restraint. A son of Zeus, sometimes depicted with horns, twice-born (or thrice-born, depending on who you ask) and with creepy ties to the underworld, he inspired cults of excessive celebration known as bacchanalia. The Romans equated him with their Liber Pater (“Free Father”) and he also was involved in myths of resurrection. “No-holds-barred” starts to give you the picture of what kind of guy we’re talking here. (I mean, he turns a group of girls into bats because they won’t worship him. How rude.) Hyper-theatrical and inspiring orgies, madness and more, Dionysus is the antithesis of self-control.
Which means, like all the pagan gods, he is the antithesis of Jesus.
And any lesser gods — who, according to Scripture, do exist5 — are not to be worshiped, venerated or praised.
[NOTE: It’s telling that the creative director claims he wanted to “create a big pagan party in link with the God of Mount Olympus,” seeing as the king of Mount Olympus was Zeus, Dionysus’ father, who has parallels and connections to Baal as both were storm gods at times symbolized by bulls.6 So an invitation to Zeus was the point of the festivities? Hmm. It sure would be crazy if the 2024 Olympics had any other pagan imagery related to Zeus/Baal, like a golden bu—
Oh. Wow. Well that’s pretty on the nose. But there’s nothing to see here, right? No idolatry or anything? Got it.]
God happens to be very invested in our monolatry: worshiping Him alone.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them or serve them.”
— Exodus 20:3-5
Therefore, all said and done, it doesn’t matter if the intent of the performance was to parody the Last Supper or not.
Venerating pagan gods, involving children in debaucherous imagery, glorifying transsexualism, and appropriating Biblical symbols for the purposes of secular cult rituals are all things God dislikes.
As in, He’s not a fan. It makes Him angry.
And since God is never in disunity7 (thanks, A.W. Tozer), He can be perfectly merciful, kind and loving while being equally angry at the sinful violation of the first two Commandments, all at the same time. Imagine that.
Things are hard for us, but not for Yahweh.
We’re 2/2. Batting a thousand. One more.
Our response in times of cultural conflict shows the world what we’re made of. As mentioned above, it’s right to be angry at 1) rebellion towards God and 2) the veneration of wickedness. But is there more? If you’re an apprentice to Jesus, having serious spiritual mettle — the kind that responds not merely emotionally, but righteously — is essential for following the Master into His purposes for the Church.
Mere anger, though natural and justifiable, will not be enough. Hear me.
In this moment the Holy Spirit is opening our eyes so that we will pray.
E.M. Bounds said “When the Church is in the condition of prayer, God’s cause always flourishes and His kingdom on earth always triumphs.”8
Believers, we must pray. For wickedness to cease. For the plans of the enemy to shrivel and fade. For the eyes of the blind to be opened to their precarious eternal reality. For righteousness and truth to flood our societies. For the Gospel to go forth in power. For Christ to continue to heal, save, restore and deliver. For the Church to be faithful and obedient.
Christians, we desperately need a fresh move of God. It will come as the Bride is faithful to her charge of embodying Jesus on the earth and contending in the spirit through prayer for God’s goodness to be revealed in dynamic ways in our time.
Yes, wickedness is rampant. Yes, the demonic no longer hides in the shadows but prances around in the open for every camera lens to monetize. But Christ is on the Throne forever. And He is calling us to our stations. As the Moravian motto has said for centuries:
"Vicit Agnus Noster - Eum Sequamur"
or
“Our Lamb has Conquered; Let Us Follow Him”
Together, let us lean in to deeper, more intentional modes of prayer and intercession as we seek God’s will and favor in our world.
Bishop Robert Barron recently responded to the Parisian proceedings as well with resounding disapproval: “This deeply secularist, post-modern society knows who its enemy is, they’re naming it, and we should believe them; they’re telling us who they are, we should believe them.” And he’s right.
Believe the dark powers when they tell you “we’re here.”
We must pray like never before. They mean it.
See Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:24-28. (“Iniquity” is the Hebrew word ‘avon,’ which paints a picture of the land being cursed due to the depravity of sin. In short, rampant generational sin pollutes the land on a wholistic level.)
See Deuteronomy 9:4-5.
See Acts 5:1-11.
Paris Olympics organizers say sorry for offense, but insist opening ceremony did not depict “The Last Supper.” (2024, July 29). CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paris-olympics-organizers-apologize-last-supper-tableau-religious-conservatives/
Heiser, M. S. (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Lexham Press. p. 28-37
Zeus, Baal and a rare bronze bull idol discovered in Greece. (n.d.-b). ArmstrongInstitute.org. https://armstronginstitute.org/325-zeus-baal-and-a-rare-bronze-bull-idol-discovered-in-greece
Tozer, A. (2022). The Knowledge of the Holy. Sea Harp Press. p.161. “God's being is unitary; it is not composed of a number of parts working harmoniously, but simply one. There is nothing in His justice which forbids the exercise of His mercy.”
Bounds, E. M., & Press, R. (2017). The weapon of prayer. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
Really appreciated how you framed this! The third way really is the follow the Lamb who conquered!