Lost in Translation?

How about that Super Bowl! For those that don’t know, I’m a Colts fan…I have both Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison on my fantasy football team…and the only football jersey I own is the blue #88, which I wore proudly on Sunday while carrying my Peyton Manning good luck figure.

With the satisfying victory secured, I sat back to watch the Vince Lombardi trophy ceremony interested to see if the Colts owner would once again give glory to God as he did after the AFC Championship game. Of course, all athletes “would first like to thank God” on the podium, right? It's become a cliche. Here’s what transpired…

Colts' owner Jim Irsay credited God with the victory as he held the sparkling Vince Lombardi trophy in his hands:

"Now there's an awful lot of shining glory, even more than last time up here," Irsay said. "But we're giving it all to God again because that's what got us here ... sticking together and believing that we could, and I know God has looked after us on this journey and bonded us into such a tight family."

I was thinking about this today, which prompted me to write this post. For those of you that are Christians, I have one question for you. Are you a Christian only when you are at home…or do you let the world know what God has done for you in public?

I admit for many years I was a “silent” Christian. Growing up as a kid, it wasn’t a sign of strength or considered cool to be the Christian kid on the team or in school. I didn’t have any Christian friends by my side to give me strength. So I just coasted along as the “nice guy” but never truly embraced or shared my faith with others.

Well, if you know me, that changed in recent years. No longer am I silent as to my faith. I proudly proclaim that I am a follower of Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate price to redeem my soul and I will forever be grateful. But enough about me. What about those guys on stage under the biggest spotlight in professional sports and possibly the single largest television audience in the world.

For weeks we had heard how Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith were the first African-American coaches to make it to the Super Bowl. Here’s what Dungy said after the game:

Here's Dungy's whole quote, responding to Jim Nantz's question about the "social significance" of the Super Bowl, the first with a black head coach (both Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith): "I'll tell you what. I'm proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I (are) not only the first two African-Americans but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're more proud of that."

I’ve read a lot of stories about Super Bowl XLI that quote the first half of what he said, but leave out the second half. However, it cannot be denied that to Dungy, he places his greater victory in Christ. Dungy has had a close relationship with Bears' head coach Lovie Smith since 1996, when Dungy hired Smith to coach linebackers for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"My relationship, first, is with Jesus Christ, and he is the center of my life," said Smith when asked about his faith earlier this week. "I try to live a Christian life. I would like for players to know my faith based on what they see on a day-to-day basis."

As part of a pre-Super Bowl promotion, both men, and members of their teams, compiled a website to witness their common faith in Jesus Christ to the world. The site can be found at www.beyondtheultimate.org. I encourage you to visit the site and read what these two coaches and others who play and coach for the Bears and Colts have to say about their faith in God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives.

On the other hand, I have also read where one writer stated that, “Christians, and anybody who applauds his speaking out (Dungy), have to respect the possibility that his words will bruise other people's ears.”

In response to that, I can only I turn to the Bible:

* "With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.” 2 Corinthians 4:13
* "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7
* "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Bruise other people's ears you say? I respect the possiblity that his words will guide a lost soul to eternal life. And to that, I will applaud. For each of us has the individual choice of how we will hear the message. The responsibility of us as Christians is to simply share it. In a world where we Super Size professional athletes, yet are continually disappointed with revelations of infidelity, drug use, poor judgment and lack of wisdom, I am especially proud of the witness these men proclaim and example.

I concede that none of us are perfect and I recognize my lack of authority to cast judgment over anyone. Still, I challenge each of you to take a stand for God publicly and see how it will increase your faith and love. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior…there’s no better time than the present. "Someday I hope you get the chance, to live like you were dying.”

"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38