The "Last Supper" Incident at the Paris Olympics
How to respond to people mocking Christianity (in brief).
The outrage following the alleged depiction of the Last Supper at the Paris Olympic opening ceremony has spread like wildfire online. Even Elon Musk got involved, tweeting the following;
Setting aside whether or not the intention was truly to parody the Last Supper, cultural events like this beg the question of how Christians ought to respond to mocking. The first thing to point out is that we should expect to be mocked, scorned, and hated. Jesus Himself tells us;
“You will be hated by everyone because of me.” (Matthew 10:22, NIV)
Why are we surprised then when this actually happens? Like clockwork, our culture mocks us, and then we act like we didn’t know this was going to happen! On the other hand however, we also behave as if this counts as actual persecution. You know “outrage culture” has truly infected the Church when men in dresses becomes a bigger cultural moment than Christians being martyred in other countries. Nonetheless, when we do face mocking, how should we respond as Christians? Well, it’s my opinion that Christ is very clear;
“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Matthew 5:39, NIV)
And a few verses later;
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44, NIV)
These Biblical injunctions should give us pause next time we click on an article or YouTube video calling for condemnations and justice. We are called to be set apart from the world, to be different from it. We should respond in love, not in hatred or defensiveness. God does not need us to defend Him; He’s perfectly capable of doing that Himself. Justice belongs to God, not us, and unlike us, God is merciful and full of love.
NB: Everything expressed in this article is merely my opinion, and should not be taken as authoritative in any way. I am not a bishop, nor a saint, nor an academic, nor a spiritual father. If anything I say contradicts the teachings of your bishop, ignore me, and follow him. Additionally, all my articles are living documents, and so may be updated or refined over time, as I learn more, or discover better ways of articulating my points.