Faith and famous figures
I can’t help but notice how several internet news sites have highlighted the role of Christian faith in the lives of people in the public eye.
We have seen photos of President Donald Trump meeting with and being prayed over by Christian pastors. He certainly needs prayer. I think our whole government — all of its elected officials — needs more divine help. Perhaps it’s time to do what Lincoln did: declare a day of prayer to entreat Almighty God for our nation’s healing. The schisms between factions seem to grow angrier day by day. An excellent prayer that we can all use is this — “Help!”
Religion can be controversial. Why is that? It hasn’t always been that way. In America’s culture, open faith in God, expressions of trust in Christ, and people quoting the Bible were once commonly seen. Now expressing faith in God invites scorn.
Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, was just prevented from preaching at several locations in England. What caused the opposition? He preaches against sin. Yet the heart of evangelism is, “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” If you want the benefits, you must meet the conditions. To quote a line in the movie,
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “Only the penitent man will pass!”
I remember when Werner Von Braun, father of America’s space program, said: “The farther we go into space, the greater my faith.”
Like it or not, religion is a big factor in the lives of many national leaders and some famous athletes.
Take, as an example, Clark Hunt. He is a co-owner of the Kansas City Chiefs. His father won the first Super Bowl and is credited with the term “Super Bowl.” Clark’s mother has attended every single Super Bowl game, all 54. Celebrating their win in Kansas City, Hunt said it was the “biggest party and expression of joy” he’s ever seen. But above it all, he pointed to his faith.
“My Christian faith is the most important thing to me. In terms of priorities, it’s faith, family and football — in that order.”
The Chiefs organization is known for its Christian culture. It started with Lamar Hunt and was carried on by his son.
“It’s something we believe as an organization,” Clark said. “We’re blessed to have a chapel service for our fans on game days. We have a great chaplain for the team who does so much to grow the players spiritually.”
Hunt said his team is “blessed” to have Patrick Mahomes, who became the youngest player to win a Super Bowl MVP. He hopes Mahomes “will play his entire career in Kansas City.”
Being an NFL quarterback is a demanding job, mentally and physically, but that didn’t stop Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins from taking the time to read the entire Bible.
Cousins, who has been outspoken about his Christian faith, shared a photo of his personal Bible. It has a “Fellowship of Christian Athletes” logo on it.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is a bold Christian. He promoted Focus on the Family’s “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” Of course, he caught hell from the gay community for it. Brees joins the ranks of fellow Christian athletes like Tim Tebow and a few other celebrities.
Most actors, singers, politicians, or athletes who are Christians keep their faith secret, to avoid persecution by peers. Few people knew it, but NBA legend Kobe Bryant was a devout Catholic and reportedly attended early morning mass with his daughter just hours before he died in a helicopter crash in California.
•••