Skip to content
Project 2025
Search

Latest Stories

Follow Us:
Top Stories
People walking down the steps of the U.S. capitol.

DNC's Proposed RCV Ban Sparks Debate Over 2028 Presidential Primaries

Protecting the Right to Play in an Age of GenAI

Protecting the Right to Play in an Age of GenAI

A Senior Man Using A Laptop Computer And Paying Bills With Nurse

Not All Change Is Good: Medicaid, Medicare Shifts Are Everyone’s Problem

Close-up hands of unrecognizable man holding and using smartphone standing on city street, browsing internet, checking social media, using mobile application.

ALS Doesn't Wait. Our Health Care System Still Does.

Defense Secretary Hegseth Testifies Before Senate Appropriations Committee

Can We Fire Hegseth Yet?

The Olympics encourage democratic reflection

OLympic rings in Beijing

The Olympic Rings at Beijing Olympic Park.

Charle He/Getty Images
F. Willis Johnson
By F. Willis JohnsonMay 22, 2024
F. Willis Johnson
Rev. Dr. F. Willis Johnson, Jr., serves as vice president of partnerships and programming with the Bridge Alliance. A third-generation educator, Rev. Dr. F. Willis Johnson is a spiritual entrepreneur, Senior Minister of Living Tree Church and adjunct faculty at Methodist Theological School of Ohio. Johnson formerly served as senior minister of Wellspring Church in Ferguson, Missouri, a predominately African-American intergenerational urban parachute church plant. Rev. Dr. Johnson is respected for his leadership and strategies around social and racial justice issues. Recognized as a scholar-practitioner, Johnson authored Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community, and is a sought after thought-leader who empowers individuals and communities towards prophetic response—healing, justice and reconciliation. With some 19 years of professional ministry experience in Indiana, North Carolina, and Missouri, Johnson’s skills extend far beyond the pulpit. Trained in education and nonprofit management, he has served in volunteer and paid leadership positions for multiple nonprofit organizations. He counsels bishops, General Board agencies, annual conferences, and local churches across the country. Johnson in 2017 was the Vosburgh Visiting Professor of Ministry and Social Engagement at Drew University’s Theological School.
See More Writings by author

Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" and program director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.

The Olympics, those weeks-long extravaganzas of athletic competition that happen every four years, have long been more than just games. The Olympics, in their essence, are a stage for showcasing the best human values – like fair play, respect and the courage to strive for excellence. These ideas are not just important, they are the very fabric of our shared humanity and encourage reflection on our own democratic underpinnings.

The Olympics trace back over 2,000 years to ancient Greece, and have always been more than a mere display of athletic prowess. They were a time for Greek citizens to unite, celebrate their democracy and showcase their remarkable athletic skills. Fast-forward to the late 1800s, when people around the world were ready for a modern version of the games; they wanted to bring together athletes from different nations to compete and celebrate peace and friendship.

And just like the ancient games, the modern Olympics have always included people from all walks of life — different countries, races and religions. The sight of athletes worldwide chasing their dreams and pushing their limits is not just inspiring, it's a testament to the potential of the human spirit. It's a powerful message about the importance of diligence, perseverance, and the transformative power of the Olympics to inspire us to be our best selves.

Hosting the Olympics can also do some good for the people who live in the host nations and regions. The money and resources used to prepare for the games can be used to improve things like infrastructure, education and health care. It's a way for the whole world to see the best of a country and its people. But it's also essential to ensure that the benefits of hosting are shared equitably.

Of course, the Olympics could be better. Putting on such a big event can be expensive and sometimes leads to things like corruption, unfair treatment of workers and even the forced removal of people from their homes. And let's remember the pressure to win at all costs, which can make some athletes feel like they have to do whatever it takes to come out on top. That's why it's crucial for everyone involved to remember the actual values of the Olympics — fair play, respect and the joy of competition.

So, how can we make sure the Olympics live up to their potential? First and foremost, the core Olympic values must remain front and center. The governance and legislative actions of the games from decisions about who gets to compete, how the games are run, and what the results mean should be guided by fairness, respect, and integrity to sport.

Next the voices of all athletes ought to be lifted and heard. That means ensuring diverse and inclusive representation and that everyone gets a fair shot at success, no matter their background or beliefs. It's about creating a space where everyone feels like they belong and can be authentic.

Finally, host nations and governing bodies of sport must be held accountable. The Olympics should be a means to a greater end. Purposed to do some real good for their citizens and world. Thus, ensuring the benefits of hosting are shared widely, treating workers fairly, and protecting the rights of all people.

The Olympics are more than just a sporting event — they're a global celebration of human potential and force for positive change. As the world readies for the Summer Olympics in Paris, we pray that the power of sport will inspire, unite and help encourage our better angels worldwide.


Latest news

Gynecologist doing ultrasound of pregnant woman in hospital.
Health

No Doctor, No Delivery, No Future

A New Standard for Ethical Immigration Reporting
Media & Technology

A New Standard for Ethical Immigration Reporting

How Utah’s H.B. 222 Set the Stage for State-level Climate Liability Shields
Environment

How Utah’s H.B. 222 Set the Stage for State-level Climate Liability Shields

Read More

Our Conservative and Liberal Union
An american flag flying high in the sky
Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

Our Conservative and Liberal Union

How are Americans supposed to make a more perfect union when we can’t agree on whether we need to turn our cultural clocks forward or backward?

This question is among the more difficult that people can pose to their fellow countrymen. Not just because it has no obvious or easily agreed upon answer, but because it’s more likely to be asked during contentious times, like the one we are in today.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Anthem and the Civic Thread That Still Holds America Together

Baseball players place their caps over their hearts during the playing of the national anthem. Tacoma, Washington, USA.

Getty Images

The Anthem and the Civic Thread That Still Holds America Together

Each year, from the first buds of spring to the turning of autumn leaves, America is captivated by baseball. From Major League parks to Little League fields, from minor league stadiums to collegiate summer diamonds, the game transcends geography, generation, and ideology. Fans gather to watch today's stars and tomorrow's prospects, united by America's pastime.

Change has been abundant in the century since America celebrated its 150th birthday. Yet, as Field of Dreams reminds us, "There has been one constant throughout the years… baseball." Accompanying that constant is a nearly century-old civic ritual, forged in moments of national challenge and renewed before nearly every first pitch: the singing of the National Anthem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two unrecognizable persons holding each other's hands

Political polarization changes relationships in profound ways. Explore the psychology of contempt, fear, extremism, and how to reconnect with loved ones.

Yana Iskayeva/Getty Images

The Permission Slip

There is a particular grief in hearing someone you love speak with contempt, different from anger or disagreement because it turns people into categories and places them beneath regard.

I felt it recently when a friend blamed immigrants for the country’s supposed decline. The bluntness shocked me, but the familiarity disturbed me more.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two people sitting next to each other as one person works with clay.

Global civic education helps students build trust, navigate ambiguity, and work across differences. Research shows it can strengthen civic leadership and reduce polarization.

Photo Courtesy of Tilting Futures

Why Fixing Polarization Requires Students to Cross Borders

I've been running global civic education programs for twelve years, and I keep seeing the same pattern: college-age students arrive believing they know how the world works and that their perspective is fact. Months later, after sustained global engagement, they return home fundamentally different, with their walls down and having gained a visceral understanding that their perspective is just that: a perspective, not the truth.

There's a reason this transformation matters so much at this age. This is the moment when mental models solidify into frameworks about how the world works, about who deserves trust, and about what's possible across difference. But without exposure to people and cultures that have alternative perspectives, those frameworks harden into us-versus-them certainties rather than nurture curiosity, further entrenching the polarization that is fracturing our country. Too often this polarization is framed as a knowledge problem rather than a moral perception problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2026