God in the Super Bowl

Another Super Bowl, another person invokes God. I wrote this column a few years ago when Kurt Warner was in the Super Bowl with Arizona. The question is about the rightness of bringing God onto the biggest stage in the world.

Last night, after winning the final game of his 17-year career, Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis, from the big stage brought onto the field, replied to a question about winning this way: "if God is for you, who can be against you?"

That scripture comes from the eighth chapter of the Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Rome, of course.

But let's look at what this really means.

First, it doesn't mean God was pulling for Baltimore more than He was San Francisco. He didn't have the over. He didn't bet the line. He didn't cause the flag to stick in the pocket of the referee on the game's ultimate play in the end zone with just less than two minutes remaining.

At least I don't think so. I assume there were men on both sides of the game praying before, perhaps during and certainly after the game. That seems to negate what Lewis said.

But does it?

I think the bigger question is why does it bother so many people that Lewis invokes God at all?

Roland Martin, a columnist, writes this this morning: "So why is it that sports fans are upset and bothered that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis consistently invokes God and Jesus, and recites Bible scriptures? We saw a lot of criticism toward Tim Tebow for the same thing. Criticize him aplenty for not being able to throw the football, but hating on him because of his faith? Please, sit down. Olympian Lolo Jones, from LSU, was on ESPN's "First Take" Friday and she said that it's interesting that someone else will get more positive attention for releasing a sex tape while she is ridiculed for saying she'll remain a virgin until she gets married.

"I'll be honest, a lot of the criticism comes from individuals in the media who see religious people as weird and kooks. No, not all members of the media, but I can say in my experience as a reporter for 21 years that I have heard a lot of anti-religious, and especially anti-Christian, stuff from my media brothers and sisters."

You might be shocked to see these poll results. A recent study released by the Public Religion Research Institute revealed that 27 percent of Americans believe God plays a role in the big game.
"In an era where professional sports are driven by dollars and statistics, significant numbers of Americans see a divine hand at play," said Robert P. Jones, CEO of PRRI, in a statement. "Roughly 3-in-10 Americans believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins, and a majority (53 percent) believe that God rewards faithful athletes."

What's interesting to me about those results is I'm beginning to wonder if three in 10 Americans attend church at all, but that's another column I suppose.

It comes down to this: If you don't want an outspoken Christian athlete to talk about God, don't ask him or her questions. In the Great Commission, Jesus told all us "little Christs" to do this: Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

He didn't say do this unless you happen to be on television after the Super Bowl.

Now, this is all complicated because of Lewis' past: several marriages, an arrest on a murder charge after a Super Bowl in 2000. Some doubt his genuineness because of that. I, however, am more inclined to believe him because of his past. Simply put, those who haven't been to the bottom often have no understanding of what it is to accept the incredible grace of God. I truly believe Lewis knows this.

His Coach, John Harbaugh, believes in Lewis. He said last week, "I'm just feeling an incredible amount of awe in the work that God can do in one man's life. To me, Ray is the epitome of that. Ray is a guy that has turned everything over. He's surrendered everything and become the man that he is today and he's a different man then he was at 22."

I know it drives some people crazy when committed Christians talk about the love of Christ. But I've written this before and will many times in the future: If I had the cure for cancer and I kept it to myself, what would the world think of me? I have the cure for far more than cancer, and I just can't keep it to myself. It's just that my stage will never be as big as the Super Bowl.

Still, I try, we try, Lewis tried. Accept it or reject it, you heard it. That's all a Christian can do.