(ChurchLeaders) After withdrawing from most events at the Tokyo Olympics, gymnastics champion Simone Biles won a bronze medal Tuesday for her performance on the balance beam. Biles’ decision to withdraw from competition drew both praise and criticism from Christians and has sparked ongoing conversations about identity, mental health, and the definitions of strength and courage.
“I understand that some people may be disappointed,” says Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine, “but I can’t imagine any Christian leader criticizing someone making a mental health decision. Simone Biles is a tremendous athlete, a role model, and now an example on how to speak up for one’s own mental health. Anyone with any sense (and Christlikeness) will come to the side of those who struggle—like Jesus did and called us to.”