Quick question: What is the end goal of progressive ideology?
That’s a question we must ask yet it’s a question that doesn’t have a real answer because progressivism has no end. It’s never satisfied. Yesterday’s progressive agenda is not enough today and is laughable tomorrow. Progressive ideology must continue to, well…progress. CS Lewis says something similar regarding pride: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man…It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.” Pride is the core of progressivism. There’s never satisfaction. It’s like a cancer that only wants what it does not have or at least wants to push the agenda further than where it is now. Progressivism pushes strange ideologies toward acceptance, then normalization, then celebration. This has been on display for years. Adrian Rogers once said, “The sin that used to slink down back alleys now parades down Main Street.” These strange ideologies have again raised their heads and moved from Main Street to prime time TV with the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympic Games.
You are probably familiar with the “artistic” depiction, especially if you are on any form of social media. In case you don’t know, drag queens sat along one side of a long table in such a way that many people naturally assumed a reference to Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. There was a central figure with others flanked to the left and right. I’ve heard (or rather read) two primary arguments that attempt to reason away the indignation felt by many.
First of all, there’s an argument which claims this was not a depiction of The Last Supper but rather a depiction of the Feast of Dionysus. Of course there is some merit to this because of the roots in Greek Mythology and the origin of the Olympic Games. But if it was Dionysus and not Jesus, why did the central figure have a halo? For 2000 years, Christ has often been artistically represented with a halo. At best, this was (to borrow a progressive term) “tone deaf” to Western Culture. And while I may be wrong, I just don’t buy it. The other argument is this was indeed a depiction of The Last Supper, but that Christians shouldn’t be offended. Mocking a painting is in no way the same as mocking Jesus. 1500 years of church history would have no idea what this was about. The painting is one artist’s representation of Jesus, not Jesus himself.
If the first argument is true, then the second one can’t be. Either it was a mocking depiction of The Last Supper or it wasn’t. Truth will not allow for both. Further, if this was a mocking of The Last Supper, then shouldn’t Christians have every right to be indignant? Argue if you must, but the truth is The Last Supper is a representation of Christ and the apostles. To say people should not be offended by this is akin to saying people shouldn’t be offended by the Virginia Battle Flag because it doesn’t truly represent the Confederacy…absurd!
What we saw in the opening ceremonies however, is not the primary issue I wish to address. It’s what is visible right now, but there is a more concerning issue underlying it all. In short, it’s sin. It’s pride. It’s this progressive ideology which must continue to push the envelope. Which means that in the end, I don’t think we, that is Christians, should be angry…at least not angry at people whose moral compass has no true north. What did you expect? If there be anger, let it be with those in the church who have failed to proclaim the truth. Europe, once a bastion of biblical orthodoxy, is filled with churches-turned-museums. Let this be a warning shot to the church in America. We certainly should not be surprised. Romans chapter 1 predicts this behavior. For me, the offense is not that someone made a public mockery of a painting, even one strongly associated with the church. Rather, the offense is the public mockery of the family and sexuality. And don’t tell me the family does not represent Christ because the Apostle Paul says otherwise (Ephesians 5:32). But mockery of the family and sexuality is nothing new. What I am seeing on social media that truly breaks my heart is the fulfillment of Romans 1:32. I see professing Christians who applaud deviant, progressive behavior. That is heartbreaking.
I take solace in this: Jesus was mocked and ridiculed. The church has seen millions of martyrs over her history. If there was any offense taken with the display at the Olympic Games, count it as a momentary, light affliction. And remember that even the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. May I take this as one more reason to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Let me pray for hearts to be transformed. Let me speak the name of Jesus. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing and acceptable to my God. May the words I speak and the life I live bring the hope of Christ to a lost and dying world.
Ragamuffin Warrior 