When I'm sitting in the Multi-faith Centre at the Athlete's Village I can look around at the diverse representation of humanity I am with. We are men and women, younger and older from almost every continent. Some are very fit world class athletes and others of us, me included, are slightly over-weight middle-aged has-beens. Some believe in God as one distinct person, others believe in multiple deities, while others consider divinity to be experienced within us all. In this context I have the honour of serving Canadian athletes and team officials as well as the broader Village community. They are real people, many of whom are youth and young adults, addressing real life. Life doesn't take a holiday just because you are at the Olympics. Injuries, disappointment, relational issues and bereavement are all part of the mix over these 17 days. I had the sobering privilege, in a previous Games, to be invited into a grieving athlete's life as they wrestled with the decision of whether to stay and compete or to go home after their father's sudden death. As they were in a pair's competition, it also affected the competitive opportunity for their partner. Having this memory of supporting these two athletes through their entire competition is a meaningful reminder even today of why I do what I do. These real life challenges are no respecter of one's faith community or ethnicity. As a chaplain serving a diverse Olympic team I am deeply committed to honouring and showing respect to each person's choices regarding their journey of faith. Within a multi-faith environment I seek to serve others and to learn about the meaning of their faith to their daily life. Here in London my friends in the Faith Centre have helped me grow in my knowledge and appreciation of everything from Ramadan to kosher food. You never stop learning.And yet I am convinced that knowing rootedness in my own faith life is critical to my ability to serve effectively in the Village. As a follower of Christ in the Faith Centre and in my daily life I have an obligation to be an authentic, consistent representative of him. But the second conviction does not dilute the strength of the first. In fact I am honestly convinced that if all believers shared these two commitments, to show genuine honour and service of persons of other faiths and to live as authentic representatives of their own faith that the quality of life locally and globally would be radically altered for the good. It is crucial that within our individual contexts we learn to do the hard work of engaging our diversity with both respect for others and a passionate commitment to who we are.
我坐在运动员村的宗教多元中心，环顾四周，看见了形形色色、各具代表的人。这里有男女老少、各种各样的运动员，他们来自各大洲。有些运动员体型健硕、享誉全球，而包括我在内的有些运动员早已过而立之年，身体也微微发胖了。有些人信仰举世无双的上帝，有些人信仰诸神，而其他人坚信我们都有神性。在这里，我很荣幸能为加拿大代表团的运动员和官员以及范围更广的奥运村服务。这里都是真真切切的人，而且很多都是年轻人，他们在这里和真正的生活打交道。生活不会因为奥运会而休假。受伤、失落、关系问题以及丧亲将会在接下来的17天随时存在。在上届奥运会，我有幸和运动员一同经历了一次悲恸的生活经历。他们父亲的骤然辞世令他们陷入两难境地，不知是该继续留下比赛还是回家奔丧。这段记忆曾在这两名运动员比赛时不断地激励他们，甚至现在对的我来说也意义非凡，时刻提醒着我为什么做我应该做的事。这些真实的生活挑战是不分信仰与种族的。作为一名服务于多元化奥运团体的牧师，我竭尽所能并深切地尊重每个人对信仰旅程的抉择。身处一个信仰多元化的环境之中，我寻觅着每一个服务对象，并从中了解到他们对每天生活的信仰和这其中的意义。在伦敦，宗教中心的朋友们帮助我扩充了从斋月到犹太教食物的方方面面的知识。学习永无止境！当然我坚信要了解自我的信仰之源，这对我在奥运村的服务质量具有重要意义。同时，作为一名基督教的信徒，每天在宗教中心我都有义务做一个真实的、始终如一的自我。不过第而项义务并不会削弱第一项义务。事实上，我坚信倘若所有的信仰者都能谨遵这两项义务，诚挚地尊敬并服务于其他宗教的信仰者们，真正地作为自己的信仰代表而活着，那么全球各地的生活质量将会极大地提高。对于个人而言，我们每个人都要学会在尊重他人，尊重对我们热心奉献的人的同时，把自己多样性的一面融入其中。这项工作任重而道远，而且至关重要。
