The Glory of the Nations
GCD Newsletter – Wednesday, August 7, 2024
I love the Olympics. I love them so much. And for a moment, I want to focus not on what has been distracting—aspects of the opening ceremonies, the memes about certain air pistol shooters, and whether a biological man was actually boxing women or something else was going on.
Instead, I want to focus on what we all love: the glory of the nations. Almost twenty years ago, my wife and I went on our honeymoon to the island nation of St. Lucia, and now they have the fastest female sprinter in the world. (I used to run the 100m, by the way, and Julien Alfred is a whole second faster than me at my best. I guess I can enjoy the fact that when I was on my honeymoon in her country, and she was three years old, I was faster than she was then!)
In seminary I had a professor who would often talk about a verse near the end of Revelation. In the context of the new Jerusalem, John writes that one day “the kings of the earth will bring their glory into [the heavenly city]” (Rev. 21:24). This means every nation and the kings of those nations have a particular glory. Often human glory in the Bible has the connotation of sinful glory. This isn’t one of those cases. We know this isn’t about sin because the kings are bringing their glory into the new heavens and earth, a place without sin.
My professor traveled quite often, and he told us students that he often asked people from other countries what particular glory they thought their country would bring into the new heavens and earth. I always loved that question and line of thinking. It comes to my mind at least every four years when one kind of glory after another kind of glory parades before us.
I don’t know whether you love the Olympics as much as I do. But rather than focusing elsewhere, perhaps you could refocus your attention on what amazing glory God has given people, that—in the words of the psalmist—he made us just a little lower than heavenly beings and crowned us with glory and honor (Ps. 8:5).
I was watching the men’s 110m high hurdles race the other day (another race I ran much, much slower than everyone on our TVs), and the television commentator mentioned how the French runners are known for their precision over the hurdles. I don’t know enough about the international racing scene to confirm that statement, but as I watched the race, the French runner certainly glided over the hurdles with glorious grace.
In addition to marveling, as you watch the Olympics you can also pray. On opening day, our GCD social media coordinator, Erin Jones, wrote a thoughtful piece about how Christians in France are working toward the good of the many visitors in Paris. In her piece “Global Hospitality and Unifying Love at the 2024 Olympics,” you can read of the wonderful evangelism efforts taking place.
Below I highlight the other articles on our website from the last week, including a thoughtful reflection by our staff writer Tim Shorey on a verse an Isaiah 40, also about glory but the kind that tends to fade over time—a helpful juxtaposition with the Olympics.
Thanks for reading,
Benjamin Vrbicek,
Managing Editor
Gospel-Centered Discipleship
Last Week at GCDiscipleship.com
Share the Gospel—Use Words
By Heidi Kellogg
I was slow to learn that evangelism requires using words. But now I get it.
We Fading Flowers: Faith Reflections from a Cancer Oven (#21)
By Tim Shorey
Tim Shorey, one of our staff writers, is journaling through his struggle with stage 4 cancer. In this entry he reminders readers why it is good for us to know that we do not live very long.
The Opportunities We Overlook
By Nicholas Lewis
We often don’t see the opportunities God gives us to share our faith until they’ve passed by us. But if we’re looking for these opportunities, maybe we’ll see them sooner.
In his new book, The Art of Stability, Rusty McKie guides us into the silence and the stillness that modern life has done its best to destroy, and helps us to navigate hard conversations with ourselves and with God. We know that God is our shield, our salvation, and that his right hand is ready to support us1, but we don’t always live as though that is true.
Life’s difficulties can overwhelm our sense of God's presence, but we can take comfort in the fact that He is near and full of compassion. The Art of Stability is not a how-to manual for floating above the pain of life but rather a path for weary hearts to find their way back to Love. By embarking on this journey, we can discover the safety, love, and resilience that has always been available to us through Jesus.
You can purchase the Art of Stability right now, either as a paperback, or as an eBook. You can either buy the eBook at our own website, or over on Amazon. Either way, please do let us know what you learn about God and about yourself as you read the book. We’ll be sharing more about the book over the next few weeks here in the GCD Weekly Newsletter and we’d love to include your thoughts, or answer any questions you have about the book.