Every four years the Olympics give us a little break. It’s time to sit back in admiration and awe to watch the world’s finest athletes. While the Greek ideals have been compromised and there are a lot of high priced athletes competing, (the men’s basketball teams for example) there are many participants that are still amateur. And although they are supported by their home country the athletes do not gain a whole lot financially. They are far from being set up for life.

Amateurs are part of the charm of the Olympics. I’ll never forget the Australians rising and cheering the third place finish of an aborigine runner. Surely an amateur if there ever was one.

The Olympics are many things: A chance for the world’s best athletes to be on a stage watched by billions. It also rewards some of us common folk in its theme; in that you don’t have to be the best. It is enough to compete.

Once in a while if you are lucky there is a chance to rise outside of yourself and to feel really good about life. To be transcended above our everyday cares and woes. One experiences this at the birth of a child or even seeing a play that takes us into another realm. Or singing a hymn. It comes at different times to each of us. It is an illuminating experience. Not on the same level that Paul experienced on the road to Damascus, but still a happening that gives you hope for the future.

To me, the best part of the Olympics is the opening ceremony when each country’s athletes march in. The pageantry and fireworks are wonderful and quite a show. But the part of the ceremony that impressed me is when the Chinese audience applauded the delegation from Taiwan noisily, stood and cheered for the United States, their foremost rival. And when they were courteous to Japan, their cruel adversary during WWII.

Getting away from the positive spiritual or social aspects of the Olympics and back to the competition, wasn’t it fun to watch the men’s relay swimming team defeat the French. They may have been right about Iraq, but that doesn’t help us like them any better after they trashed the U.S. team. National pride has its place, too. (There is a way that Obama or McCain can guarantee their own defeat. Endorse French thinking and the French President endorses them.)

Not all aspects of the Olympics are positive, at least not to me. Watching the girl gymnastic athletes launch themselves through the air is awe-inspiring. You couldn’t pay me enough to do a flip on the balance beam. Think of the practice these girls must have gone through and the thousands of times they didn’t quite hit the beam after the flip.

It makes you think of the months and years that some of the athletes have devoted to their moment in the world’s spotlight. Think of the thousands striving toward the place only one can attain. And even if you are successful, just a few years later you can no longer perform at that level through no fault of your own. You just got older.

Still, did you hear about our 41-year-old female swimmer Dana Grace Torres. Wow, what a thrill for her and her loved ones. There are many heartwarming stories about the Olympics and perhaps the most important one is that there will be another in four years. Not many things could have driven the Russia-Georgia war from being the lead story in newspapers, but the Olympics have done it. Let’s enjoy the 29th Olympiad.