On Thursday, August 9th, Irish boxer Katie Taylor won gold at the Olympics! She fought so hard and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of the excitement here. Katie is inspirational not only for her seriously fierce fighting skills (I would not like to be on the receiving end of her fist) but for her openness about her faith in the Lord. In every interview I’ve ever seen her in, she is always talking about how Jesus is the reason for her victories in the ring. She gives the glory to God for her skills and for the privilege of winning fights.
Her courage has caused national news stations to quote her acknowledgement of the Lord as her source! Katie and her family attend our home church, St. Mark’s. On Thursday, the church was filled with tons of people (including news crew) who watched the big screens as she won and immediately gave glory to God. The Irish Times came to the event and interviewed our pastor as well as several members of the church.
Some people were telling me that they felt like they had more courage to say things about God because of Katie’s willingness to honor Him publicly. It makes me think of how much of an influence our actions are. Are we willing to obey the Lord and take a stand? Who is watching our actions and looking up to us? We need to stop shrinking from opportunities to share our faith. Yes, there will be opposition and we might get laughed at...but that is no excuse for inaction. Let’s remember why we are here: to acknowledge the Lord in all we say and do. So proud of you, Katie Taylor! You inspire us all!
