Archive for the '2010 Olympics' Category

The Olympic Flame… a ritual that connects our human spirits

I stood witness as the Olympic torch passed through Vancouver. Quite unexpectedly I burst into tears when it reached me. Across from where I was standing, there was a group of twee school kids cheering madly right beside a large group of seniors with their walkers, also cheering madly.  All their faces just shone. It choked me up when they broke into a spontaneous rendition of Oh Canada!  Though there were people as far as my eyes could see, I decided to run alongside as far as I could through the crowds.  Surprisingly it wasn’t too hard.  Many other people teared up as they caught sight of the flame.

That’s the power of collectively experienced ritual.  And that is in fact what the torch relay is… ritual.  The flame represents the universal human spirit.  Passing it from one to another, surrounded by our diverse communities, we are reminded in an unconscious way that — in our inner hearts we are all the same.  When ritual and ceremony are alive and resonate with meaning… we experience a shared memory — one that is emotionally transformative!!! Read more