Today was a day that will forever be remembered in Olympic history. The tragic death of Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili this morning hit hard against the excitement and anticipation of the official opening at the 21st Winter Games. It followed a horrific crash the day before on the same turn near the end of the course, signaling, perhaps, that the world's fastest track is too fast. Not even 24 hours after the news broke, opinions are flying to and fro. Should the IOC discontinue the luge event entirely or accept the terrible incident as a fluke and the fulfillment of statistics? Both sides make valid points, but I find that it's a bit too soon to be debating issues.
Death is not an easy thing to deal with. I say this with absolutely no personal experience, so everything I know comes from countless discussions, books, articles, movies, and secondhand stories. I had good friends at the venue, though, who were thrown into the emotional turmoil this morning. I can't imagine witnessing something so shocking in person. It's not something that just goes away quickly, like deaths that happen hundreds of miles away and are featured on the evening news. Death is so common, yet we're still jarred by its effects. The Opening Ceremonies carried on as scheduled, but not with the vigor or energy I expected it to have. It was an impressive show, yes, but everything seemed to be dampened by the events of the morning.
I pray for all of those affected by Nodar's death--fans, teammates, family, and my colleagues and friends who were at the venue this morning. The world might look like it's falling down, but there's a great and divine hand holding our universe who is never shaken or surprised or moved. He knows your pain and knows exactly how to heal it.
We will remember Nodar Kumaritashvili as the games begin. We will remember as his teammates nobly compete on the very same track. We will remember--we will not forget.
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