Radical hospitality brought more than gold to Olympic Games
by Alison Potstra
Everyone who attended the
Olympic Games this year or was in the Vancouver area
unanimously described the atmosphere as electric. When
Sidney Crosby scored the gold-winning goal for Team Canada,
the nation leapt to its feet in celebration. With glowing
hearts, Canadians across the map proudly rejoiced in its
impressive tally of medals; earning 14 gold medals and 26
medals in total, Canada set the record for golds claimed by
a host country for a Winter Games.
Contributing to the
celebratory atmosphere were the numerous volunteers who
dedicated over 65,000 hours of service to make the Games
memorable and a positive experience for Vancouver residents
and visitors from around the globe alike. Through More than
Gold, a Christian organization comprised of 15 denominations
and 40 partnering organizations, those volunteering their
time were given a unique opportunity to minister to the city
of Vancouver during an exciting world event.
Karen Reed, CEO of More Than Gold
photo courtesy The Gospel Herald, Vancouver, BC.
www.gospelherald.ca
"The Olympics exceeded my
expectations," said Karen Reed, Executive Director of More
than Gold. The Vancouver police and RCMP even gave their
commendations for the volunteering initiatives which helped
to "take the edge off the crowd."
24/7 prayer, trained
chaplains, and over 4,000 volunteers positioned at 21
transit stations serving hot chocolate and coffee to
pedestrians all contributed to "create an amazing
atmosphere," said Reed.
"Everyone was appreciative of
being served," she said. With More than Gold’s vision of
connecting the faith community in extending radical
hospitality to Vancouver before, during, and after the
Games, peoples’ lives were touched in countless ways.
When the Olympics began on a
tragic note with the death of Georgian luger Nodar
Kumaritashvili during a practice run, trained chaplains were
on hand to provide prayer, counseling and support to the
shocked and grieving.
Youth with a Mission (YWAM)
Vancouver, one of More than Gold’s partner organizations,
also played an integral role in the prayer initiatives.
Because of the covering of prayer, the openness of those
being served, and the "divine appointments" that occurred
during the Games, "there was a peace over the city like no
other," Reed said.
She spoke with YWAM Vancouver
CEO Mike Davies, who told her the first five days of the
Olympics were more fruitful to his ministry than the past
five years.
Christian musicians also used
the Olympics as an opportunity to take their music to the
public sphere on stages and in coffee shops. "Artists play
an important role in culture," said Reed. "They’re using
their art as a window into the community to engage in the
heart of God."
Reed recalls receiving
hundreds of high fives as she walked through the streets
following the Men’s Hockey gold-winning game and people
spontaneously singing the national anthem everywhere she
went. The momentous event and the fact that Canada was so
successful in this year’s Olympics "sparked nationalism,"
she said. "It’s a catalyst to call forth a sense of
patriotism in a positive way."
When the bridges in Vancouver
were shut down and revellers flooded the streets to
celebrate, Reed said that the joyous celebrations gave
people a taste of the kingdom of God. "People can experience
the kingdom of God without knowing the King," she said.
"We’re wired to celebrate; people wanted to come watch (the
Games) and celebrate in community. It’s a basic human need
to be connected within community."
Those coordinating More than
Gold hope that the legacy of radical hospitality during
sporting events will continue on a local level. The
volunteers have focused on extending the same radical
hospitality to those attending the Paralympics, which kicked
off on March 12 and ran until March 21.
For more information, please
visit
www.morethangold.ca.
