John the Apostle recorded a promise that allows us to boldly confront the evils of worldliness:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)
In an interview Thursday with Mike Tirico of NBC Sports, light shone from the face of gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as she gave “all the honor and glory” to God following her world record-shattering performance.
The 25-year-old McLaughlin-Levrone dominated the 400-meter hurdles, setting a new world record for the sixth time and breaking her previous world record by finishing the race in 50.37 seconds, per ESPN.
“Look at that smile,” Tirico said at the beginning of the interview.
Indeed, McLaughlin-Levrone looked like someone who felt peace. And when the veteran broadcaster asked about the key to her victory, it became clear why.
“Just running my race, you know, not looking at what’s happening to the left and the right,” she said.
It sounds as if she took to heart our Lord’s commands.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble,” Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 6:34)
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In other words, God may exist out of time and space, today and tomorrow, to the left and the right. But we can only meet Him where we are in the present moment.
Later, when Tirico asked her why she performs best in the biggest competitive moments, she offered more wisdom and humility.
“Honestly, I think my faith is the biggest factor. Just trusting the Lord and trusting the plan He has for me,” she said.
“It doesn’t always guarantee things are gonna go amazing. But I just give all the honor and glory to Him every time I step on the track. I’m amazed with what He is doing in my life,” she added.
Readers may watch the four-minute interview here. Tirico’s question and McLaughlin-Levrone’s faith-filled reply begin around the 3:15 mark.
On the whole, McLaughlin-Levrone’s interview represented the latest redemption moment for the otherwise woke and blasphemous Olympics.
First, 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal praised Jesus through sign language.
Then, British hurdler Cindy Sember took to the social media platform Instagram and shared a brief clip of herself and ten other female Christian Olympians from different countries gathered around a piano and singing songs of worship.
Even McLaughlin-Levrone had an indirect role in redeeming a Google AI advertisement widely panned as anti-human. The hurdler bore no responsibility for the ad. In fact, she merely appeared in it as the favorite athlete of a young girl whose father encouraged her to use AI in order to write McLaughlin-Levrone a fan letter.
In so many ways, of course, both Google and the Olympics in general have represented darkness.
Still, God’s light has shone through McLaughlin-Levrone and others, and it’s a beautiful sight to behold — especially on a stage as big as the Olympics.
