It’s that time of year again…football season. What can football teach us about life and faith? Here’s a lesson I learned…A few years ago, the New York Jets destroyed my Arizona Cardinals. But that’s not newsworthy.
The attention-getting play of the game happened with only 27 seconds remaining when Anquan Boldin (former Cardinal) tried to catch a pass from Kurt Warner in the end zone. He was hit hard from behind then an instant later took a head-on, helmet-to-helmet hit from Jets’ safety Eric Smith. They both went down and while Smith was stunned, Boldin was unconscious.
The wonderful and amazing thing about watching this happen was the transformation of a crowd. They morphed from ardent fans of one team to concerned human beings for a fallen athlete. Everyone was on their feet and watching silently to see if this man would get up—on the field, or ever again.
Even more astounding was the instant transformation of the players on both teams. Men who had been vigorously competing against each other only moments before were talking in hushed tones and embracing.
Then—as millions watched on TV, an enormous huddle formed and dozens of large, tough football players went down on their knees, an uneven integration of team colors. Warner, the Cardinals’ quarterback, was near the center leading this group of humble stars in a prayer for their injured brother. Team leadership was never more clearly demonstrated than in that instant.
Boldin is fine now. Smith was suspended for one game and fined $50,000 for a “flagrant violation of player safety rules.” All’s well that ends well, right?
Sure, but the outcome could have just as easily been much worse. Just another reminder of how tenuous life is…for all of us, not just football players and fighter pilots.
I hope Boldin is deeply aware of this and lives the rest of his life with outward evidence of an attitude of gratitude.
None of us fully knows how near we’ve been to life-altering circumstances and how many times we’ve been spared. Do you think about it? Are you grateful each day?
I hope also that Boldin (and his teammates) appreciate the strong, servant-leader they had at their helm. If I ever find myself knocked flat on my back, I know there are members of my team of loved ones who will ask everyone to huddle up, take a knee and do the only thing they can: pray. In front of God and everyone else watching.
