I am not from Philadelphia, so I cannot claim to be an Eagles fan for my whole life. I grew up with America's past time, baseball. As a Puerto Rican, I was born with a ball and a mitt in my crib. Football became one of my favorite sports, surpassing baseball when I met my future, late, father in law who was a lifelong Cowboys fan. While I did not care for football growing up, everyone around me, especially my wife's family, referred to the Cowboys as America's team. If Dallas is America's team, albeit maybe no longer, who is God's team?
Something is happening with Philadelphia Eagles. I have lived in the Philadelphia region for almost 14 years, and maybe it is just me, but there is something about this team. They are the best in the league with a 10-1 record. A team this good is said to have a certain chemistry and leadership. I decided to dig deeper and was pleasantly surprised that it appears that the driving force behind many of the top Eagles' players, is the Lord Jesus Christ.
I feel like that those last words are going to cause eye rolls but let me flesh this out for a second and include some quotes from certain players on the team. Most of the time when I hear that a certain player is a "Christian" I ask the follow-up question "what do you mean by Christian?" There are plenty of celebrities out there that point to the sky and thank God for their achievement, but that does not make them a Christian. You can understand that at least for me I need to know more before I feel comfortable with that description of any individual.
When it comes to the Eagles, Bible Study Magazine in their Nov/Dec Issue shared about the difference of this team compared to previous other Eagle's squads and other NFL teams. The magazine found on the Eagles, players not only saying they are Christians but demonstrating that their own success and the power behind it is found in Christ. Nick Foles quotes 2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
There is no doubt that starting Quarterback Carson Wentz and the crew work hard on and off the field. You could not be this good without practice and devotion to your craft. Yet, many on the team starting with Wentz devote much of their free time to living out their faith and seeking more of their Lord Jesus through the study of God's word. Wentz understands this and says: "If you're not rooted in God's word, this world will eat you up." The foundation for success is a firm one, as found in the word of God. Wentz is leading the team on and off the field making sure that his teammates know that without Christ any worldly success is just that, worldly and temporary.
The Eagles have several Bible studies going on during the week. There is a couple's bible study, team study, and several players study on their own. Trey Burton commented "We love the Word [of God]. We could talk about it all day long." They obviously talk a lot about football, but many give the Word of God it's right place on the list of priorities. The Eagles have some tough games ahead. Some have been cautiously optimistic about the future since their schedule has been light given that most of their wins have been against poor performing teams. The real test is coming, but the Eagles are physically, mentally and above all, at least for some key players, spiritually ready.
Whether it is God's will for the Eagles to win the Super Bowl or not this year, there is no doubt that starting with their QB and going down the line of Foles, Maragos, Ertz and others know that the only thing that lasts forever is the Word of God. "The Grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
The Eagles have a lot of excited fans right now, and yet there is one person, the Lord God is pleased with what is happening in the hearts and minds of this winning players. As Carson Wentz puts it, "My life motto is ‘AO1'- Audience of One. That resonates with me for everything I do. It's an audience of the Lord- not for the world, not for fans."
"Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men." (Colossians 3:23)
If they keep on this track, they will have wins on the field and big wins in heaven.
** The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of Chadds Ford Live. We welcome opposing viewpoints. Readers may comment in the comments section or they may submit a Letter to the Editor to editor@chaddsfordlive.com
About Rev. Marcos O. Almonte
Rev. Marcos O. Almonte is senior pastor at Brandywine Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church west of Philadelphia. Pastor Marcos is a graduate of Palmer Theological Seminary with more than 10 years working with families with an expertise in theology, trauma and addictions. Pastor Marcos and his wife Mary have three children, Carmen, Joseph, and Lincoln.
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