And now for something completely different.

As in, what we have here is a post that is linked to this week’s “Crossroads” podcast, only it starts in a completely different place, in terms of news content, than what host Todd Wilken and I recorded.

We’re talking about the Olympics. As you would expect, we focused on the role that religious faith can play in the lives of many athletes in a global event of this kind. 

Here’s the new content. Do you see any religion news hooks in these headlines that I spotted after we were done recording?

— The Jerusalem Post: “The same antisemitism: Israeli athletes face 2024 Paris Olympics under threat.”

— USA Today: “Israeli athletes to receive 24-hour protection during Paris Olympics.”

— The Times of Israel: “Outrage after French lawmaker says Israeli athletes not welcome at Paris Olympics.”

— Metro in the U.K.: “I’m in Paris for the Olympics — people say the city feels like a jail.” Here is a byte of that first-person piece by reporter Gergana Krasteva that captures the tone:

To anyone who does not live in a large European city like London, Paris – often referred to as the ‘City of Love’ — might resemble a dystopian enclave preparing for the Hunger Games.

Yasmina, general manager at Hotel Des Ducs D’Anjou, just a few minutes from the Louvre Museum, said the city “feels like a jail” right now. She told Metro.co.uk: “On every street there are at least four or five police officers.

“It feels unsafe. To me, the presence of so many police means there is a threat of a terrorist attack.”

If you follow politics at the global level, you may be aware that France recently had some really tense elections. How tense? Surf around in this Google News file for “France,” “elections,” “tensions” and “civil war.” 

Yes, “civil war.” What is the gasoline that could ignite at any minute? That would be the waves of immigrants in France from North Africa, in particular. What’s the religion angle there? Islam.

The clash between Islam and France’s unique attitudes about religious faith in public life was mentioned in the following Associated Press story: “Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles.” Here is the overture in that report:

It’s been 100 years since a Scottish runner famously refused to race on a Sunday at the Paris Olympics because of his Christian beliefs. Devout top athletes say elite sports performance still poses some hurdles for the faith practices that are central to their lives on and off the field.

At this summer’s Paris Olympics, much of the controversy has centered around Islam, because France’s unique secularism principlesforbid its athletes from wearing headscarves as well as other visibly religious symbols — though the ban doesn’t affect Olympians from other countries.

But athletes of different faiths argue sports organizations and major events should better respect the breadth of religious practices, especially as they strive to be more inclusive. To many, faith and spirituality are also essential to mental well-being, which has come under the spotlight especially since U.S. gymnastics star Simone Biles’ open struggles at the last Olympics.

That graceful reference to Eric “Chariots of Fire” Liddell was especially relevant, since AP immediately added: 

“Most people would see sports and religion as very separate, but I see a big overlap. Everything we have is a gift from God — He’s the one who’s given me this strength,” said Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner who qualified to represent Israel in the Tokyo Olympics but didn’t compete because the women’s marathon was scheduled for a Saturday, when she observes shabbat.

I did find if strange for AP to include Biles without mentioning the role that her Catholic faith has played in her career and recovery from anxiety issues. Right?

The story also had these quotes from qualified experts on this topic:

Athletes with a secure attachment to God tend to be less depressed, anxious and lonely than those with a negative perception of a punishing God or those who are not religious, said Laura Upenieks, a Baylor University sociology professor who has studied elite athletes at U.S. colleges.

That’s in large part because they don’t base their self-worth on others’ approval, are less self-centered and can find greater meaning beyond being “only as good as the last race,” Upenieks added.

“Faith gives me the ability to stand firm and to keep going, and it reminds me that there’s always a larger and higher goal to pursue,” said Tunisian steeplechase runner Marwa Bouzayani, 27, as she trained for the Paris Olympics.

A devout Muslim who first competed at the Tokyo Games, she races the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase wearing modest attire, including a hijab or head covering. 

It’s a solid story. But why would AP skip over one of the major story lines for these Olympics in this tense location? It’s very easy to find headlines such as this one, from France 24: “Anti-Semitic acts nearly quadrupled last year in France, says Jewish organisation.”

Just asking. Pray for peace in Paris.

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