Jamin Bradley

I returned home from vacation to find Christians fighting about a Last Supper mockery at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. According to the articles I’ve read, this visual connection wasn’t intentional. I don’t find this overly difficult to believe since people striking a pose behind a long table will always generally look like da Vinci’s famous painting.

But even if this scene was discovered to be outright intentional, why are we freaking out? Is our omnipotent God so fragile that he is crying in the fetal position in the corners of Heaven? Jesus was mocked from the moment he started his ministry to his very last breath on the cross, and he told us that people would hate us, too, if we followed him. Is not being mocked a part of our heritage and birthright?

Christians today do not like to be ridiculed, though they certainly are open to ridiculing others. Indeed, who knows more about Christian ridicule than the drag queens and the transgender model behind that long table? If their poses were targeted at Christians, shouldn’t we almost expect it for the lack of love we show them as our neighbors? The Olympics are hosted by different cities around the world. Do we expect all nations to have the same god and traditions as Christians? Do we expect their actions to cater directly to us and our beliefs?

I get it: no one wants their faith to be blasphemed or mocked. But it’s always going to happen and Christians in power have to stop taking these moments so personally. We have to understand that non-Christians don’t think like us. Our gospel is a supernatural one that requires faith on our part and the work of the Holy Spirit on God’s part. Therefore, you should not be surprised when people hear your Christian beliefs and react with a chuckle.

LGBTQ+ people are not your enemy. Mockers do not need to be mocked in return. All people are your neighbors and are therefore loved by God and are expected to be loved by you—even when they mock you.

If you live out your Christianity expecting to be mocked, mockery will not hit in the same way. Indeed, you may just find that you weren’t really worried about defending God’s pride as much as you were worried about defending your own.