The Celebrities I Met & What I Learned About Their Faith

 

Earlier this year, a friend and a parishioner at my former church in Maryland asked me if I would like to give the invocation prayer again at the National Football League’s Players Gala and James Brown Awards.  Last year, I gave the invocation prayer at the event and got to meet James Brown (of CBS Sports), Bill Cower (former coach of the Pittsburg Steelers and Super Bowl winning coach), and other NFL players who were nominated for the “JB Award” for outstanding community involvement.  The gala also serves as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics.  This year, I happily accepted the invitation again and got to meet Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburg Steelers Quarterback and Super Bowl Champion), Clinton Portis (Washington Redskin running back and Pro-Bowl starter), and Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinal wide receiver and Pro-Bowl MVP).

As I was traveling to the event, I could not help but wonder what place does a prayer have at a professional sports fundraiser and award show?  Sure, as a pastor I believe that we should desire to acknowledge God at these functions, but what do professional athletes think about prayer and invoking the name of God publicly?  Do these men of mega strength actively seek God out?  Sometimes after professional sports games on television players will mention God in passing as if God was a mere minor character in the player’s life.  Or during an interview, when professional athletes mention God more specifically and in great length the interviewer will cut off the athlete move on to more “important” facets of the game such as what edge the athlete had or what the athlete did before the game.  Still, some acknowledge “The Almighty”, “God”, or just “being blessed” but rarely mention “Jesus.”  In my mind, NFL players were not known for putting Christ as the center of their lives, either privately or publicly.

As I walked around the gala at the Washington D.C. Hilton and started to meet and take pictures with the players, I introduced myself and

mentioned my role in the program.  Most players did not say much, but they did allow me to take a picture with them.  As the time ticked down to my brief moment of prayer, I was ushered backstage and waited for my cue.  As I was waiting, I saw James Brown (J.B.) of CBS Sports, who is the driving force behind recognizing NFL Players and their community involvement at the event.  I decided to introduce myself and what I was doing there.  J.B., a former football player, affectionately embraced me and started to share with me in great length about his involvement with local pastors, local churches, prayer, accountability partners, and working with other religious organizations.  He also opened up about his faith in Christ.

J.B. also said something that got my attention.  In a very humble way, he said, “You know, what we do out there is something that is done only by the Holy Spirit.  You and I, do this for His sake, not ours.” Wow!  Here is a celebrity acknowledging the Holy Spirit.   He continued to speak about his faith in Christ and he said he enjoyed our time together as fellow brothers in Christ.  He also inquired about my journey with God, my ministry, my connection with the event, and my collegiate career in lacrosse.

As the time drew near for me to go on stage, J.B. gave me  another hug and wished me the best.  I walked on stage, began  the prayer for our evening, and thanked God for all the blessings we have received.  I also mentioned how it is by God’s grace that we are able to give to others in need.  People in attendance who were close to the stage responded with “Amen!”, “Praise God”, and “Thank you Jesus.”  I finished my prayer and went back to my seat. When J.B. began his introduction, he echoed what I prayed about and added that the marginalized in society need to be cared for and loved.

As the night went on, I was again surprised at the number of NFL players who spoke about God  and how blessed they were by God to be able to give to the community.  One player thanked his Savior Jesus Christ with the gifts of his family, friends, and ability to play football.  I was amazed at the willingness for these professional athletes to share elements of their faith with 1300 people and the hundreds of thousands of other people who would watch this award show on television later on in the year.

Before the night started, I was skeptical and questioning whether or not professional athletes put God at the center of their life.  I was under the impression that fame somehow watered down a person’s faith into something that was only spoken about when it benefited them.  That night, I saw firsthand that there are professional athletes and celebrities who genuinely believe in Christ.  Often, we think that celebrities are disingenuous when it comes to their faith.  There are strong Christians out there who are well known and who minister to others.  You may not see them talking about Christ on camera, but they are working behind the scenes.  These Christians, who are celebrities, keep quiet about their faith because they do not want to be “showy” or to be seen by all to gain their own glory.  Why keep quiet about their faith?  Remember what Jesus said:

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:1-2)

Certainly, fame can help the Gospel, but it can also hinder the Gospel when people use it for their own glory and not God’s.  That night, I learned that there are Christians in NFL and in famous circles who genuinely love Christ.    Their silence about God is not out of embarrassment, but out of respect and protection of the Gospel.  They desire to privately worship and privately evangelize in order to be genuine and sincere.    As J.B. said, “You and I, do this for His sake, not ours.”