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Teen Skater Signs Bible Verses At Paris Olympics Following Opening Ceremony Controversy

Updated: Christian News Commentary

A 16-year-old skateboarder was recently seen communicating a Christian message through sign language during the 2024 Paris Olympics.  Following the opening ceremony controversy, where Christians around the world have criticized the Olympics for seemingly mocking “The Last Supper,” followers of Christ have spoken out, demonstrating their faith in the face of apparent blasphemy.

The young Brazilian skateboarding athlete Rayssa Leal looked into the camera during the women’s final and signed the Bible verse John 14:6, which reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

The Catholic Olympic athlete ended up winning a bronze medal, after which she told reporters, “Once again, thank God I won a medal. I’m very happy to be here.”  Leal demonstrated great bravery in her expression of faith, as the Olympics have reportedly banned faith-related statements from athletes at the Games. According to the International Olympic Committee, Olympic venues and podiums must be “neutral and free from any form of political, religious, or ethnic demonstrations.”
The Christian Tribune has reported on the various responses from prominent Christians regarding the opening ceremony.   Bishop Robert Barron recently went viral on social media when he called for Christians to stand up and defend their faith after the ceremony was evidently “mocking this very central moment in Christianity.”
The Bishop said, “But this France felt, evidently, as it’s trying to put its best cultural foot forward, the right thing to do is to mock this very central moment in Christianity where Jesus, his last supper gives his body and blood in anticipation of the cross.”
He continued, “And so as presented, though, is this gross sort of flippant mockery France, which used to be called the eldest daughter of the church parish that gave us Thomas Aquinas taught there, and Vincent de Paul was there. King Louis, the ninth St Louis, France has sent Catholic missionaries all over the world. France, whose culture, and I mean, the honoring of the individual of human rights and freedom is grounded very much in Christianity.”

Barron concluded, “I think folks, what’s interesting here is this deeply secularist, postmodern society knows who its enemy is. They’re naming it, and we should believe them. They’re they’re telling us who they are. We should believe them. But furthermore, we Christians, we Catholics, should not be sheepish. We should resist. We should make our voices heard.”

Christian actor Candace Cameron Bure shared an inspiring message in light of the ceremony that we should continue to share the Gospel and do good works in the name of God.  “I want to continue believers with what Paul is saying here, he continues and says, Let us not get tired of doing good for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. So this is my encouragement to you. Don’t get tired of doing good. Keep sharing the gospel.”

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Watch Bure’s message below:

Featured image credit:  Rede do Esporte, CC BY 3.0 BR <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rayssa_Leal_ap%C3%B3s_receber_a_medalha.jpg