I am a sports enthusiast. I love watching sports on TV and love playing sports such as tennis and running. Participating and watching sports always makes me think of the Olympics and the many athletes who participate at such a high level of competition. The Winter and Summer Olympics seem to bring out the best in people. It appears to be the one time that Americans are more concerned with race results instead of race relations.

History states that the Olympic rings were created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was the founder of the modern Olympic Games. He designed the Olympic rings in 1913 as an effort to promote the games. Each of the five interlaced rings represents one of the five continents during that time: Africa, North and South America (represented by one ring), Asia, Europe, and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand).  The colors of the rings: blue, yellow, black, green, and red also have significance. Those colors were chosen because at least one of those colors appeared in the national flags of every country that participated in the Olympics at that time.

The Olympic Games are steeped in history. Both good and bad. Much like the U.S. The Olympic rings are interlocked to represent the unity and meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. An unbroken circle that represents equality. The best athletes in the world are coming together to compete. They are examples of excellence in each of their respective countries.

I can imagine that the founders of the first Olympic Games would be proud of the progress made in keeping the games fair for all countries. The Olympic Games were not without their scandals though. The 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, featured the famous “Black Power” salute from black athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Finishing first and third in the 200-meter men’s race, they raised their fists in the air as a “Power to the People” salute during the US national anthem.

During the 1972 Olympic Black Power salute, it was a political protest by two U.S. Olympic runners, Vincent Matthews and Wayne Collett, during the medal ceremony for the Men’s 400-meter race. That salute was known as the “Forgotten Salute.”

There were many incidents of cheating and other deceptions committed by athletes and competing countries. And yes, the Olympic Games do have a dark side. Drug testing/cheating among athletes, as well as inappropriate behaviors of some of the athletes, are commonplace today in the modern-day Olympics. But unlike the U.S. with its stars and stripes, the Olympic Games recognized the humanity of all its athletes and the honor of the many countries that send them.

Why? The Olympic Games are governed by an international organization of leaders who really believe in the spirit of equal and fair competition. The Olympic Games honor their traditions and do not attempt to erase the past. The U.S.A. has never honored the real landholders of this country – The Native Americans. The current U.S. leadership wants to erase any remnants of discomfort around race and equality.

The Olympic rings remain unbroken today. Through triumphs and tragedies, the rings are circles that the world recognizes as truth and honorable. The Olympic flame seals in fire the link between the countries it serves. The flames are the glue that keeps the circle alive and intersecting.

The U.S. could learn a lot from the Olympic Games and its leadership. First, the health of all member countries is the wealth of all countries. Athletes who are chosen to represent their countries participate at their peak physical performance. A healthy athlete is a major component of the winning team. Health equity for all people should be the foundation of the country’s growth. We cannot cut corners or ignore the health of our people…all people.

The Olympic rings represent equality among the five countries. No ring is larger or smaller within those rings. They are all in equal proportions. The land of prosperity, known as the U.S.A., believes that health and wealth are privileges only rewarded to a few people. Their zero-sum thinking gets in the way every time. A sense of community means only their respective community matters.

The richness award to countries that share trust, respect, and equity among their people is viewed as weak and ineffective in the U.S. The leadership of some of these countries is women and people of color. When will the U.S. wake up and realize that the rich tapestry of our nation lies with the very people that it wants to marginalize?

In the bible, a circle represents wholeness, unity, and the divine nature of God and His love for us. A circle reminds believers of God’s never-ending love for us and His protection around us.