THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 1, 1996 TAG: 9608010004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By KAY FLEETWOOD
LENGTH: 61 lines
I am a sucker for all things regal and romantic, full of pomp and circumstance, drum rolls and trumpets' blare, sequins and gossamer. So you know where I was on July 19. That's right: Channel 10 - NBC - 8 p.m.: opening ceremony of the 26th Olympiad in Atlanta. And were my wildest expectations fulfilled? A hundredfold, and more!
But it was something very far removed from the glitter, the pageantry, the fervor of the production which has remained with me. It is the simple one-syllable word - dream - which took root in my heart and caused me to reflect.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., appropriately included in the Olympic experience, said for all generations, ``I have a dream!'' Sure, we all have dreams. I'd love to take a vagabond trip to Europe, win the lottery, be free from disease, among other ``dream'' situations.
My son dreams of creating new video games and achieving world acclaim and untold wealth. And my daughter dreams of becoming a marine biologist and saving the Earth.
Each of us dreams, each of us fantasizes what life would be if. . . .
The Rev. Mr. King's dream was not one of fame and fortune, however. His was simply a dream of peace, equality and harmony on Earth. Sound familiar? It should, because the realization of his dream is the Kingdom of God, proclaimed by Jesus 2,000 years ago. ``Love one another as I have loved you.''
And will this dream ever be realized? Will the kingdom of God ever be reached? Put together the message behind the Olympic celebration, the elements of that night: The Olympic stadium was filled to its 80,000 capacity and was not cordoned off for Armenians here, British in Section 1010, Asians in row CC, American sat beside Brazilian, German beside Kenyan, Canadian beside Burmese. The colors of the Olympic flag: yellow, green, blue, red and black, at once separate yet equal, apart yet blended into a rainbow of unified beauty. The faces of the performers wore smiles as broad as God could allow, eyes shimmering with tears of joy and excitement. And the giddy anticipation on the face of every one of the 10,000 plus young athletes who came, country by country, to blend into a sea of eager humanity.
There was more. The dream. Will the dream ever be realized? Black and white, man and woman, first and present: two gold medalists moving in unison to carry the flame toward its destination. Who would have thought that would ever happen? Then the climax of the 15,000-mile torch relay, during which Americans from every walk of life, from any age groups and various physical abilities, illustrating that diversity which makes America the UNITED States, came as an Olympic gold medalist, proclaimed by self and fans alike as ``the greatest,'' trembled as he lit the wick which would ignite the torch for these Olympic games.
Yes, Martin Luther King, your city of Atlanta, in your state of Georgia, in your homeland of the United States tried very hard to realize your dream. In a city ravaged by fire, civil war, racial unrest, poverty and, most recently, by a bomber's attempt to sabotage your dream, Americans have worked hard to make that dream a reality. And while Atlanta cannot alone be the kingdom of God, perhaps, if each of us reflects on the pieces of the dream we see coming together in that one Southern city, we may each do our part to live as Jesus taught and put our piece of the dream into place. MEMO: Kay Fleetwood is minister of religious education for Holy Trinity
Parish in Norfolk. by CNB