Super Bowl Sunday

I can’t believe that is almost time for the Super Bowl. OK, what I really can’ believe is that my Colts again went home early after it really looked like this was the year. I have to admit that I had a hard time getting too excited about the big game. I mean, the Seattle Seahawks for crying out loud? Who would ever think that “Seahawks” and “Super Bowl” would ever be used in the same sentence? And no matter how hard I try to stay on my diet, every time Sunday they mention Ben Roethlisberger (Roesthlis-BURGER), I’m going to want to get something to eat!

So who cares about the big game? Well, I just happened across a story about the Christian faith of some of the key players on Seattle Seahawks. Team leaders and huge stars like quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, safety Michael Boulware and MVP running back Shaun Alexander are all extremely vocal about their faith, routinely giving praise to God and referring to their faith in post-game interviews. And when the Seahawks take the field against the Steelers, head coach Mike Holmgren will be without his wife Kathy and one of their four daughters. They will be on a medical mission trip to the Congo with Northwest Medical Team, a Chriustian relief group. He explains, “My wife has been there before and my daughter is a nurse so they will enjoy it more. It’s more important.” More important? Than the Super Bowl? To the coach? Defensive line coach Zerick Rollins put it this way—

My faith in God is first in everything I do. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Super Bowl or a preseason game. You have to prepare to do your job and do it well, but the first thing you do is give God praise because He deserves it.”

It’s great to run across people on the center stage of this Super Bowl soap opera that have their lives centered. So just when I’m ready to declare myself a Seattle Seahawk fan, I run quotes like these—

"I don’t think we put any value on marriage any longer in our country and, to me, the wedding band is a symbol of my wedding bond with my wife and my bond with God." (Safety Troy Polamalu on why he will wear his wedding ring during the game)

"People think this game may go down in history, but it’s really only temporary. I thank God that I am here, but I know I have to ask Him for guidance because I didn’t know what to expect.... I can’t let this game get me too high or too low. I have to stay focused on God and stay focused on His word." (Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El)

"I’ve been praying every day that I would honor Him and I’m praying now that I don’t embarrass Him during this time. I want to give Him His praise all the time and use this time as a platform not for me, but for Him." (Center Jeff Hartings)

Cool, huh? Here are guys that have worked all their lives to get into the big game, and when they get there, they want to talk about faith and God! So who am I rooting for in the big game? Seems like I have brothers on both sides… and I always stand by my brothers!