Athletics and the Almighty

Ray Lewis hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Baltimore Ravens had just won one of the more exciting (or at least interesting) Super Bowls in recent memory. Even more memorable than the win was the quest of the Ravens' future hall of fame linebacker who vowed this season would be his last.

All other storylines aside, it was the words Lewis said as he lifted his hard-fought prize that captured my attention most of all.

"It's simple: When God is for ya, who can be against ya?"

At surface level, this may sound like an awe-inspiring motivational saying. One, of course, derived from the Bible verse Romans 8:31. And you know what? It might be just that. But when you think about the deeper meaning of what Lewis might be implying with that concept, it gets a little tricky. (AP Photo)

Does this statement, undoubtedly uttered by many a winner, mean that God is more "with" one team than another? Does it imply the Ravens had a holier team, or that they sent up more prayers heavenward asking for a victory?

Does God even care about sports?

No matter how you slice it, faith and football mix about as well as oil and water. Not in the sense that they shouldn't have anything to do with one another. I think most would agree Tim Tebow has done it as well as anyone with as much class as humanly possible. But right now, how would you explain the 49ers' loss to the players on the team who truly thought God was on their side?

This question is obviously not as impactful as countless others that could be asked, but as an unashamed follower of Jesus and sports, it's one I know I will have to wrestle with for many years.

I'm the farthest thing from a preacher, but the first thing I think of when considering this is that if we think God is with the winning team more than the losing team, we've dichotomized the concept of winning and losing to where God can only be present in the victory. And according to what I believe, that's the furthest thing from the truth.

It's not like God helped Ray Lewis and the Ravens run faster or hit harder. And he didn't blind the referees to a Baltimore holding penalty in the endzone on San Francisco's final drive. As I said last year in a column about Tebow, the concept of God in sports isn't about whether He helps a team win by lining up on defense for the two-minute drill. It's something deeper. It's about motivation. Just like some athletes play the game for money, family, or fame, athletes like Tebow do it because they believe they're doing it for a higher calling.

Whether or not that's what Lewis was referring to, I guess I'll never know.

But I do know there is a way for sports and salvation to coexist. It's not as simple as 'believe and you will succeed,' or as clear-cut as 'God doesn't stick his nose in the stadiums,' but the balance is out there. I think it's somewhere between the two extremes. And, like always, I think it's not always about winning. But that's what's cool about faith. You don't have to have all the answers.