Let me be honest: I’m still reeling from the Denver Broncos 30-7 loss Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens. I’ve been a Bronco fan since I was old enough to put on a plastic helmet, and my weeks always start a little more miserably during football season when we — I mean they — lose. And, after a loss like the one that took place on Sunday, even reading the word “football” can be painful.
Which made Time magazine’s story titled “God and Football: The NFL’s Chaplains Give Advice” particularly agonizing to read. But such are the sacrifices I make to write this blog.
The story details the work of the volunteers that minister to those in the National Football League. For a violent game played on Christianity’s traditional day of rest, football is surprisingly steeped in faith, and chaplains can play a pretty integral role in how their teams function, on some level. And sometimes they’re called to answer some pretty ticklish theological questions: “Does God want us to lose? Does he favor the Steelers? What makes Lambeau Field sacred? Is it right to pray for first downs when people are suffering? And who caused that fumble, Jesus or Julius Peppers?”
And then there’s this:
But the chaplains believe their real value is more long term than game-day ministering. Through teaching Scripture and individual counseling, they attempt to bolster the players’ values, so that their priorities, especially when they leave the regulated world of football, do not lead them down the path of self-destruction. At the same time, the chaplains help the players understand the acceptability of being forceful on the field, even as good Christians.
“The popular perception of Christianity in America, prior to the last 10 to 15 years, has been that being a Christian meant you were soft — you were considered weak, kind of a pushover,” says Pastor Trapp. “You’re the guy who was going to turn the other cheek. But you read in the Bible that some of those guys were brash and bold and forceful but still had a heart and a desire for God.”
The idea of fostering a more muscular form of Christianity is nothing new. Pastors who minister primarily to men know that a traditional church service, full of its romance-tinged worship music and touchy-feely vibe, can be a tough sell amongst the spitting, grunting set. It’s kinda nice for us Christians laden with XY chromosomes to have role models that, if given an excuse, could knock your block off.
