In his first major speech as Prime Minister, David
Cameron set out his Olympic legacy aspiration:
"Make sure the Olympics legacy lifts East London
from being one of the poorest parts of the country to one that shares fully in
the capital's growth and prosperity."
The word “legacy” was bandied about throughout the Olympic
period and, on August 12, Sebastian Coe was appointed Olympics legacy ambassador.
Cameron told the BBC there was a "huge
opportunity" to build the legacy for the Games. He said that Lord Coe had
"done a brilliant job delivering the best Games ever" and added:
"Now I want him to help me deliver the best Olympic legacy ever."
This got me thinking about the meaning of “legacy”. It often relates to money, and there's an element of this here, but surely there has to be more to it. Well according to dictionary.com, it means: “a gift of property, especially personal property, as
money, by will; a bequest;
anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or
predecessor”.
Having just finished a full week helping out at a holiday
Bible club, I’ve had this word at the back of my mind for a while. People are always
complaining about kids today, but in many ways they are simply the product of the legacy we
have created for them.
If we are passing on negative thoughts, anger, bitterness
and foul language, how exactly do we expect them to behave? It’s our job to
leave them a legacy during our lifetimes that will last well after we are gone.
And I’m not just talking about school sports fields (although I do think they’re
important!)
The kids at the club were enthusiastic, intelligent
and inspirational. It was an absolute privilege being able to spend time with
them and to encourage them to follow their dreams.
But with the week over and these kids preparing to go back
to school, I hope they’ve taken away principles that will set them up for the
rest of their lives: how to overcome real hurdles, finish the race and pass on the
baton. I hope they have new ideas about what life is all about and about fixing their eyes on Jesus; about
working as part of a team rather than just looking out for themselves; and about
how much God loves them.
I don’t know about the kids, but I’ve certainly come away
with a new outlook on life and am determined to a) appreciate the legacy that has
been left for me by others and b) to leave a legacy that will bless others in the
years to come.
In 30 years’ time, the Olympics will be a fond but
distant memory, but I hope these amazing kids will remember some of things they’ve
learnt and will go on to develop their own ideas about who Jesus is and why
they should follow him.
After all, Jesus was all about legacy. Okay, so in human terms he didn't leave a wife or child, a house, clothes, business or money. But what he did leave was far more important. Jesus left us his powerful word and teachings; he revealed who God is; he gave his life to allow us to be reconciled to the Father; he rose again to defeat death so that we could have eternal life; and he left us the Holy Spirit to guide, comfort and protect us.
Romans 8:17 says: "And since we are his children, we
are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But
if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering."
If all the seven- to eleven-year-olds in the UK are as
amazing as the children we got to spend the week with, I think our nation can expect great things in the next
few decades: things that are even greater than 65 hard-won medals. I’m excited
about the legacy we're leaving!
Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti magazine.
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