The opening ceremonies to the Paris Olympics left an extremely bad taste in most people's mouths. Whether or not the drag queen pose was a deliberate insult to The Last Supper or not (hint: it was), it was such a deplorable display, not worthy of the Olympics, that even the IOC took the video down from their YouTube Channel.
Here's a hint, IOC: next time, try a ceremony that doesn't celebrate cultural Marxism, and maybe you can leave your video up.
But as much as it seems that the IOC and Olympic organizers are trying to turn everyone off to their event, there are still many things to celebrate at the Games.
Take, for instance, Brazilian skateboard phenomenon Rayssa Leal. She is only 16 years old, but she was good enough to take home Olympic Bronze on Sunday in the skateboard street competition. Leal is so good, in fact, that she took home a silver medal four years ago at the Tokyo Olympics. Two years ago, she won gold at the World Championships in the UAE.
But her talent and medal are not what made Leal stand out from the crowd on Sunday. It was her faith. After finishing third, she showed that faith by saying -- in sign language, no less -- 'Jesus is the Way, The Truth, and the Life,' a reference to John 14:6. Watch:
[Update: It appears this video has been taken down from some tweets, so we have added another tweet that captures Leal's celebration below.]
JESUS IS THE TRUTH.
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) July 29, 2024
Rayssa Leal was told she wasn't allowed to praise Jesus Christ at the Olympics.
Leal responded by saying, 'Jesus is the way, the truth and the life' in sign language to protest…
pic.twitter.com/YGbxDsM0fp
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We spent some time confirming that this is indeed what her signing signified in Portuguese. This Twitter video helped us out with that.
A resposta inteligente da menina Rayssa Leal frente aos ataques ao cristianismo.
— Cris†o Vive (@sigacristovive) July 28, 2024
Jesus é o Caminho, a Verdade e a Vida. pic.twitter.com/JeiAf5rKaj
Some on Twitter have speculated that Leal used sign language to express her faith because athletes have been prohibited from religious expression in Paris.
We have not been able to confirm that allegation (though there is a story from The Guardian about how some Muslim women have been forbidden from wearing hijabs while competing), but if Twitchy does discover more about any possible ban on religious expression at the Olympics, we will report on it.
But regardless of any such restriction, be it official or just an unwritten admonishment, Leal's faith shone out here in light of the horrendous display at the opening ceremonies.
She took to her Twitter account to celebrate some more after her success.
Translated from Portuguese:'Ooooo look at our beautiful medal.'
That. Is. Awesome.
Many people on Twitter, including many Brazilians obviously, were eager to congratulate Leal for her performance and her expression of faith.
He seems to have done so indeed.
Yes, this is light years better than a drag queen having a 'wardrobe malfunction' at the opening ceremonies.
Like many other Olympic sports, especially women's sports, skateboarding is a young person's game. Still, Leal has one impressive resume already for only a 16-year-old.
We hope she gets a hero's welcome when she arrives back home.
Based https://t.co/BvyUxJ1c8P
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) July 28, 2024
Since the Summer #Olympics in Paris mocked both Christ and Christianity with its opening ceremony...I think its more than fitting for Christian Olympic athletes to respond by sharing the Gospel during the Olympics, on live TV, whether they win medals or not. ✝️🕊️⛪️🙏🔥 https://t.co/7ZAfh1PCKP
— Travis Jackson (@travisdon1981) July 28, 2024
Seems only fair.
The best part about this though, was not just the reaction of Brazilians and people of faith in America, but the positive reactions in so many more languages (though the vast majority were in Portuguese, of course).
Это просто. У вас есть ваши увлечения и достижения, и вы можете сказать: привет, Иисус, мы тоже за любовь!❤️
— Julia Wojewska (@YWojewska) July 28, 2024
А не искалеченное намеренно тело, которым вы демонстрируете разврат, пороки, отвержение себя и других, по пути уродуя детей, и настаивая, что правды нет. https://t.co/PZomoFS32E
Translated from Russian:
'It's simple. You have your passions and achievements, and you can say: hello Jesus, we are for love too!
And not a deliberately mutilated body with which you demonstrate debauchery, vices, rejection of yourself and others, disfiguring children along the way, and insisting that there is no truth.'
16 歳のブラジル人スケートボーダーで敬虔なキリスト教徒でもあるレイサ・レアル選手は、パリオリンピックの女子ストリートスケートボードで銅メダルを獲得した。彼女は手話を使ってイエスへの愛を表現し、「イエスは道であり、真理であり、命である」と手話で歌った。 https://t.co/dSdnTZ26kt
— 織田飄平 (@hyouhei) July 28, 2024
Translated from Japanese:
'Rayssa Leal, a 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder and devout Christian, won the bronze medal in women's street skateboarding at the Paris Olympics. She used sign language to express her love for Jesus and sang, 'Jesus is the way, the truth and the life,' in sign language.'
These are just a couple of examples. There were many more.
God Bless! Love this
— Liz 🦋 🇺🇸 (@ElizabethSolle2) July 28, 2024
We love it too. And not just a little bit.
I'm surprised they broadcasted that. If she were speaking it they surely would have cut her off. https://t.co/N80nLO79I6
— Stu 🇺🇸 (@DiscoStu79) July 28, 2024
Aah, now there is an interesting hypothetical.
But she probably would have said it in Portuguese and we doubt NBC would have been quick enough to cut her off if they had wanted to.
We certainly don't believe any network in Brazil would have cut her off at all since it is a country that is over 80 percent Christian and about 65 percent Catholic.
She must have been delighted with the opening sequence Friday night.
— Falcomille - Far right apparently! Get Labour Out! (@falcomille) July 28, 2024
We can only imagine. But we kind of hope no one pressures her into talking about that.
If she chooses to do so on her own, that's fine. But no one should make her.
Rayssa Leal, for all her talent on a skateboard, is still a teenager.
We should be happy for her success and her faith, and leave her alone to enjoy and be proud of both.
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