Posted December 2, 2013.

For most, the beginning of December marks a countdown to Christmas or perhaps the New Year. As you may have been hearing through media streams, another worldwide event is fast approaching; the 2014 Winter Olympics.

My wife loves watching the Olympics. Especially the winter Olympics, which seems to stem from growing up in Alaska and being on the high school cross-country ski team. She’s likely more excited about the Olympics coming than Christmas or New Year’s!

The other unique component to our household during the Olympic Games is the healthy American-Canadian rivalry. Honestly, we tend to celebrate victories in both camps. Due to my parents being from England, I typically keep an eye on how the UK is doing as well.

For me, sometimes the Olympics, specifically the opening and closing ceremonies, give me a glimpse of what heaven might be like. All people from every tribe and tongue (Rev. 7:9) gather together in one place, to celebrate. The event as a whole seems to bring a unity of the nations that transcends national boundaries.

Furthermore, the Olympics are a great reminder to us all, that patriotism and national pride, can easily slip into sinful pride; regardless of the flag, we raise. Yet, as Christians, our identity can only be found in Christ and true, authentic unity of all nations will flow out of that identity.

Our Future:

We know that one day, we will see people from every tribe and tongue throughout history, brought into unity, through worship. As Paul wrote to the church in Philippi,

“…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (3:20).

This is what is so amazing about setting our minds on the things above (Col. 3:2). Once we establish our true citizenship and let it sink into our hearts; we picture ourselves in heaven, united with men and women from all nations. A far greater picture than the greatest of Olympic opening ceremonies!

Yet, the only flag that we will raise will be the banner of Christ Jesus, with a pride that is based on authentic worship of the one who has saved all nations. This vision of things to come is our eternal reward for embracing a Christ-centred identity.

In your church and ministry…

You will come across people from every walk of life. Some of whom you may embrace over cultural understanding or even personal similarities. Others may grind on everything you believe to be right or that is normal, from your point of view.

Nevertheless, whoever we meet and whatever they may represent, we have to come back to our heavenly citizenship, focusing on the eternal rewards and that single flag, the banner of Christ Jesus. Try to imagine heaven’s opening ceremonies, after death, sin, and Satan have been defeated.

Imagine all those cultural differences fading away under Christ’s banner, as we gather in worship.

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• What do you picture, when you envision heaven’s opening ceremonies; after the fall of sin and Satan?