Cherishing the Olympic spirit

If an alien power was observing Planet Earth on Friday and happened to witness the spectacular opening ceremony of the summer Olympics in Beijing it would be excused to believe that humans are a wonderful and happy race!

It was undoubtedly greatest show ever presented in history, with telling scenes of a common message, and shared dreams, of solidarity and hope, of achievements and accord. The organisers have promised a thrilling ceremony and they certainly delivered a memorable one.

The eyes of the world were glued to the National Stadium in the Chinese capital, one of four cities that will host the games, with more than 90,000 spectators, including a roster of foreign dignitaries, and an audience of four billion watching the event on TV.

This was China's moment in the 21st century and a perfect launching pad for a nation which, in just over 50 years, was able to transform itself into a military, economic and political powerhouse.

The Olympiad has become a symbol of what we, as humans, would like our world to be. The Olympic spirit of amity, brotherhood and clean competition is negated by the reality that grips our lives wherever we may be.

The rapturous celebration of the opening of the Olympics every four years betrays the truth of what the human race is all about. Those aliens watching from above would be fooled to believe that humans are indeed living up to the messages and hope of the Olympic event.

If they inspect the affairs of this planet with more scrutiny they would be shocked to discover an ailing planet with endemic maladies that threaten the existence of its most dominant species and every other living thing on it.

Ritual

The sad fact is that as much as nations celebrate the Olympic way of life, in a reality they exist in a manner that is so distant from it. In many ways we have turned the Olympiad into a ritual that emphasises our shortages and deficiencies by underlining our common hopes and dreams as human beings. We have been struggling for millennia to fulfil the goals of the Olympiad and have failed miserably.

But such is human nature; always seeking to restore balance and re-connect with abstract goals such as peace on earth, racial solidarity and achieving the common good. Why we keep failing in our pursuit of such lofty ideals is an enigma.

In Beijing scores of world leaders were present to cheer their teams. President George W. Bush was actually applauded when he stood up to greet the US team. The team from Taipei was welcomed by the spectators when it marched into the stadium.

The Olympic spirit is real enough; it reminds us that we have the moral capacity to forgive and to greet out enemies with open hearts. It overcomes our prejudices and releases a genuine desire to celebrate our differences and honour our adversaries.

Perhaps this is what we keep missing once that Olympic flame is extinguished and we diverge into our own ways for four more years.

The aliens would probably find it difficult to understand all this. We are, after all, a complex race and a fascinating one as well.

Looking at the panorama of human achievements throughout history presented in awe-inspiring displays at the National Stadium, alien and human alike would be proud and pleased.

The human story is one worth telling every time, and it never ceases to amaze. It is one that represents our shared heritage, a reminder that no single nation can survive on its own and that at the end of the day we have to collaborate in order to survive.

For the coming few weeks athletes from many nations, small and large, will compete for gold and for a brief mention in history books. It doesn't matter much if the athlete's country is a superpower or not.

What will distinguish Olympic champions from the rest will be their courage, perseverance and their capacity to deliver more than others. And while most of us will want politics to take a back seat and neutralise itself for the coming weeks, the reality will be different.

The world will continue to revolve and man will meander into trouble. The Olympic event will not humble us much although its spirit will hover for a while. After all is said and done, human nature will prevail and it will build as much as it will destroy, bring hope as much as it will chase it away.

An alien race watching us would probably be perplexed at our state, but we as humans know that our endeavour to achieve good is innate and that as much as we err in our ways, somehow we cherish the hope that one day we will overcome and make the Olympic spirit prevail!

Osama Al Sharif is a veteran journalist based in Jordan.