Best thing about the Philadelphia Eagles: the high concentration of Christians

Did you notice how many of them said "Glory to God" in their immediate post-game interviews?

It seems to be an ethos that has permeated the team culture rather deeply.

There's quarterback Nick Foles's long-range career plans:

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles says he plans on taking up a higher calling once his football career is over.

“I want to be a pastor in a high school,” Foles said Thursday, according to FOX29. “It’s on my heart. I took a leap of faith last year and signed up to take classes at seminary. I wanted to continue to learn and challenge my faith.”

Foles says the pious journey isn’t and won’t be easy.

“It’s a challenge because you are writing papers that are biblically correct,” said Foles. “You want to impact people’s hearts.”

Then there's the guy he stepped in for:

Quarterback Carson Wentz, who started and excelled for the Philadelphia Eagles up until his injury late into the regular season, is also a devout Christian. 

And yet another quarterback is demonstrating Christian leadership off the field:

Chase Daniel, a quarterback for the team, hosts a Bible study for couples weekly, there’s a weekly Bible study that happens at the practice facility, as well as prayer sessions among the teammates the night before they play a game. Daniel told ESPN: “This is by far the most spiritual team I’ve been on.”

And the team pastor, also a tight end, has baptized five of his teammates:

Trey Burton, who is a tight end on the team and the team pastor, believes that his faith in God has played a role in him being able to heal from injuries, as recently as the beginning of this season.He injured his calf and doctors told him that he would miss several weeks of play.

I had a couple guys here lay hands on me and pray on me and then I went home and had my wife and my kids and one of our pastor friends come and lay their hands on me, and immediately I woke up the next morning and I was totally fine.

He only missed one game.

The players who are of faith are careful not to berate their other team members with religion.

“We can’t just take Bibles and slap them across people’s heads and think they’re going to want to join and learn more about Christianity,” Jordan Matthews, a receiver on the team, told ESPN.

Mychal Kendricks was one of the five players baptized by Burton. He had taken part in the prayer group and says he never read the Bible, but was encouraged to get baptized as an acknowledgment of his faith in Christ and he did. 

And Sports Spectrum has a program called Football Sunday that gives us a glimpse of the role of faith in the lives of many NFL players:

That first Sunday in February is also one of the biggest outreach opportunities for the body of Christ. Through Football Sunday, a movement is growing to bring glory to the Name above all Names on football’s biggest day.

What is Football Sunday? It’s a free resource for churches to provide their people with an inside look at faith in the NFL in a way that’s relatable to all. Included are an in-church sermon-replacement video starring prominent NFL players, a 32-page special-edition Sports Spectrum magazine, and other tools to reach communities.

A Sports Spectrum production, the Football Sunday video features interviews our team shot during the season with numerous players around the league. Then, as the Eagles and Patriots have advanced to play on Super Sunday, our team hits the road again to include Philadelphia and New England players who will compete in football’s biggest game.

This year’s theme is simple: “Seek. Surrender. Serve.” You’ll hear NFL players — including Carson Wentz, Matt Forte, Demario Davis, Josh McCown and Malcolm Jenkins — talk about what it means to seek Christ always, surrender to Him daily, and serve the needs of others. The 28-minute video is hosted by CBS Sports’ James Brown. 

I'd spent the entire season boycotting the NFL because of the take-the-knee-during-the-anthem nonsense. I did watch the Super Bowl last night, and, as you know, it was a great game. I'm gratified to learn, at the end of the latest cycle of NFL competition, that it's not all pigs-as-cops socks and Che Guevara shirts. There are a lot of players who have let the presence of Lord Jesus radiate throughout their lives, their connections with each other, and their engagement of the larger society.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.