Feb 18, 2026

Written by Jim Cantelon on February 18, 2026. Posted in Blog.

Much of our western world has been in the grip of Olympic coverage. And it IS gripping. There’s something pretty much irresistible about “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” as one USA network famously put it over 50 years ago. Most of us cheer for our national athletes but we also find ourselves fascinated and drawn into many of the personal stories behind them. Some competitors have made amazing comebacks from accidents and injuries that would sideline lesser people for life. But there they are racing down icy mountains at breakneck speeds or flipping and twisting 50 feet above the ground in “big air” contests. Truly amazing.

But what I find even more amazing is the geopolitical unity that descends on the Games for two short weeks. We don’t seem to care let alone notice the political and ideological differences that catalyze global conflicts outside of the Olympics. We see and cheer for athletes, not political systems and regional conflicts. It seems that these two weeks of athletic competition eclipse the constant chaos in our world. It’s almost that we are blindsided by peace.

Another, but little reported, unifier in our world is the slow but sure growth of the church. It’s a wonder but not surprising that two of the rogue nations in daily news, Iran and North Korea, are experiencing major surges of people finding faith in Jesus. And, there’s been a long term “underground church” thriving in communist China. It brings to mind Jesus’ words,”I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it”. The Lord is not intimidated by political ideologies, dictators, and warmongers. He is at work. And He is Lord over the “right side of history”. Indeed He is Prince of Peace.