Usually we are challenged in our spending and rethink how we can make a difference; in the end we might be able to give a bit extra, but our small donation seems like a drop in the bucket to help the global issue of poverty.
With the recent Olympic Games in Russia it's eye opening (and shocking) to place the dollars spent on this temporary exhibition of the world's best athletes alongside the money needed to help this global problem.
Please don't accuse me or my husband Tim of being a non-sports fans (Tim is one of the Sports Panellists for the annual young writer awards) or anti-Olympics because we played sport every week growing up, watched sport, followed sport, studied sport and worked in sports ministry. I enjoy sport! But God has a call on the lives of Christians to care for the poor and I'm not sure we have responded appropriately.
According to most news reports I've read the Sochi winter Olympics in 2014 will cost Russia over $50 billion. (edition.cnn.com)
On top of this, around the world extravagant costs including television rights, sponsorship dollars and travel for athletes, fans and politicians will only serve to boost our consumerism habits rather than humanitarian efforts.
For example:
- The NBC in the United States has spent $775m on rights to these Olympics as part of a $4.38b deal for four Olympics. ( ' target='_blank'>www.broadcastingcable.com
- At the 2012 London Olympics a report from Broadcasting Cable records 11 companies paid $100m for the rights to be an official International Olympic Committee (IOC) sponsor, with a total of billions of dollars spent by all companies to obtain rights to be named a sponsor. (www.theguardian.com)
- Individual countries will also pay athletes for medals they earn, on top of all the travel costs which for most athletes doesn't come from their pocket. For the 2012 Olympics only Great Britain, out of the ten countries expected to perform the best overall, didn't offer an incentive to athletes for gold medals. The direct financial reward for winning a gold medal ranged from $20,000 - $180,000, some coaches were eligible to take away bonuses and money was usually offered for a silver or bronze also. (money.ca.msn.com)
In contrast
In contrast a UN food summit in 2008 said "Resolving the global food crisis could cost as much as $30 billion a year and wealthier nations are doing little to help the developing world face the problem..." ( ' target='_blank'>www.nytimes.com
More recent statistics from the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP) says that $3.2 billion a year could feed the 66 million children around the world who are school aged are hungry. This means spending on the Olympics in Russia could feed school aged kids for 20 years! (www.wfp.org/hunger/stats)
While the Sochi Olympics have far out cost any other previous Olympics the cost of hosting these glamour events does seem to continually increase and often the venues used become unused facilities or construction zones after demolition and remodelling.
With the Olympics (Winter then Summer) being held every two years, not to mention other major sporting events (Super Bowl, Commonwealth Games, Soccer World Cup) and the dollars spent on these there must surely be a time when people will realise there are more significant things in life? If the world doesn't understand this problem at least we as bible reading Christians should capture a glimpse of God's heart for the poor and respond accordingly.
Two passages
"You should be happy to give to the poor what they need, because then the Lord will make you successful in everything you do." Deuteronomy 15:10
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25:35-40
How do we respond? Do we boycott watching the games? Do we petition Coca-Cola to forego its $100m sponsorship and instead invest 75% of that money directly into feeding the poor and the other 25% of their sponsorship budget to promoting their investment to encourage others to do the same?
Do we approach our local politicians to take this issue to higher levels of government or reach out to the IOC representatives with a different proposal to the costs of the games?
One outlet, is if you use social media and maybe you will be the start of a global movement to make a step in the right direction to help end poverty, through the allocation of dollars from the Olympics and other sporting events to those areas most needy.
Genevieve Wilson is married with two children who served with YWAM for eight years in Brisbane and now serving in mission in Canada as a modern day abolitionist.
Genevieve Wilson's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/genevieve-wilson.html