The joyful and courageous way in which the German Olympic gold medalist in the shot put has publicly expressed her faith is a lesson for all European Christians.
Yemisi Ogunleye, in the Stade de France, before receiving the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. / Photo: [link]Facebook Team Deutschland[/link].
Germany has a new athletics star, 25-year-old Yemisi Ogunleye, who beyond her success at Paris 2024, has captivated many people because of her character.
Before the judges had even considered her 20.00m mark as good, the athlete held her hands to her face, sensing that her sixth and final attempt would be the one to win her the gold. When it was confirmed that she was Olympic champion, and in front of a packed Stade de France stadium, she dropped to her knees, letting her pent-up emotion run free. She went to the grandstand to hug her mother and coach and pick up her country’s flag.
But it was at the press conference, sitting alongside the other medallists, that Ogunleye spoke of how her faith in God has been central to her stratospheric sporting career.
The journalists already know that Yemisi sings in a gospel choir in her home city of Karlsruhe and asked her about the song that came to her mind during the competition. What they perhaps didn’t expect was that she would perform it right there in front of the spotlight (see video below):
With a voice that doesn't sound just amateurish, Ogunleye elicited silence, while the silver and bronze medallists (M. Wesche and J. Song) listened attentively and applauded her with a broad smile at the end.
The gospel goes:
God’s mercy kept me, so I wouldn’t let go
So I’m here today because God kept me
I’m alive today only because of His grace
Oh, He kept me, God kept me
God’s mercies kept me so I wouldn’t let go
[destacate]“I am loved just as I am. With a medal or without a medal, I am valuable”[/destacate]Ogunleye, a German-born daughter of a Nigeran father and a German mother, has shared in the past about difficult times as a youngster suffering mobbing and racism. At Evangelical Focus her testimony already caught our attention in March when, after finishing second at the World Athletics Championships in Glasgow, only 3 centimetres away from victory, she told the German broadcasters: “I have read my Bible this morning and there is a verse that encourages me, which says: ‘be strong and courageous’. That was deep in my heart, and with that message I came out to give everything in my first attempt, without fear. I am incredibly thankful”.The Christian faith, Yemisi explained, has shown her “that I am good just as a I am, and I am loved just as I am. With a medal or without a medal, I am valuable, it does not matter if I have a light or a dark colour of skin”.
Yemisi Ogunleye seems to be a perfect example of a new generation of Christians in Europe.
First of all, because of her skin colour. As authors such as Israel Olofinjana, Harvey Kwyani and Darrell Jackson have explained in this website before, a large part of the revitalisation of the Christian faith in the old continent has to do with young leaders who have part of their roots outside of it (especially in Africa and Latin America).
As these missiologists argue, there is an interesting remixing of European Christianity, helping us to rediscover a vital gospel with more courageous and authentic expressions of faith in Jesus.
[destacate]Yemisi Ogunyele shows the right way for ordinary believers in Europe to live and express their faith with honesty, spontaneity and courage[/destacate]Ogunleye is neither a professional evangelist nor a church leader, yet she has a mature faith that has grasped that the Christian faith shapes her personal identity, affects her profession and life journey. And furthermore, that the gospel is beautiful and good enough to be shared without fear even in very secularised contexts.
Vulnerability in explaining one's struggles, coupled with a genuine humility (in contrast to the super-egos also seen at these Olympics) are doors that open the way for Gen Zs and Alphas in Europe, people who are inspired by that type of personalities.
Yemisi Ogunyele shows the right way for ordinary believers in Europe to live and express their faith with honesty, spontaneity and courage.
Her impromptu performance of ‘I almost let go’ has now gone viral online, reaching as far as Kurt Carr, who popularised the song in the first place. Carr’s message to Ogunleye was: “Thank you for letting your light shine and showing the world your love of God”.
Perhaps the key for many Christians in today's secular Europe is as simple as that: to let God's light shine naturally, in a society that will listen carefully to those who have a solid and demonstrable hope in the practical reality of everyday life.
Joel Forster, director of Evangelical Focus.
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