Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. - Romans 5

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Faith in Christian Athletes

In lieu of the upcoming Super Bowl this Sunday, there has been quite a stir with the Seattle Seahawks and their declaration of "Jesus is better than the Super Bowl."

Here is a video of Pastor Mark Driscoll interviewing some of the players and coaching staff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8U_ewtHZdw

Even on the other side of the field, people are noticing the importance of faith in the player's lives, such as in the legendary quarterback Peyton Manning:

http://mindingthetruth.com/2013/12/30/peyton-mannings-christian-faith/

Most people who know me know that sports and watching sports isn't really a big part of my life. I rarely watch football (the only game I watched this season was the playoff game where the Chiefs lost to the Colts due to someone poking a voodoo doll), and the only reason was because there was nothing else to do at the Kansas City Airport back to Pittsburgh (watching the game helped me answer questions at PCCC apparently, so I see what God did there). That being said, I notice, or at least notice from other people's observations through social media, that faith has become more and more intertwined in American sports. Sure I believe that most of the players on the field in any sport in the US profess to be Christian, but it has become more and more hyped up through incidences like Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow.

Somewhere in me a small part of me is skeptical, telling me all of this is fake and that God wouldn't be interested in sports, and that these people are just trying to pull God into their camps. But then, a larger part of me admits God's hand at work, using America's greatest idol to His advantage in revealing His glory in this country. I tell myself, "what if all of this is real? Then man, this could be the start of great change and revival in this country!"

The day when athletes becomes living testimonies for God and Christian leaders in the community would be a glorious day indeed.

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