Is God an Eagles Fan? Spiritual Revival on the Gridiron

The Intersection of Faith and Sports

What do Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, C. J. Stroud, Russell Wilson, Trevor Lawrence, and Tua Tagovailoa have in common? If you answered, “They’re high-performing NFL quarterbacks and leaders of their respective teams,” you earn partial credit.

Super Bowl-winning coach Nick Sirianni amplifies the common thread of these superstars, as do certain athletes from the NBA such as Jonathan Isaac, Jrue Holiday, and Stephen Curry. We can amend our answer by saying, “None of them is perfect.”

But there’s more.

These athletes are not ashamed of their Christian faith. They often redirect the glory associated with their victories to God or Jesus. Certainly their words represent more than merely effective marketing. And these sports celebrities aren’t trying to pull rank with the Almighty, as their comments come at the end of the game.

Have you noticed these post-game testimonials happening with greater regularity? And broadcast media are becoming less apt to edit them out. Could it be revival has broken out in America?

Consider the two college quarterbacks who played in this year’s FBS championship game. After winning, Will Howard of Ohio State said, “Before I say anything, I gotta give my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all the glory, all the praise.” Howard’s team played a prominent role in an on-campus revival, which was even covered by National Public Radio.

Notre Dame’s quarterback, Riley Leonard, said, “I truly think things happen for a reason. Not only us but Ohio State as well. I think we’re the two main teams to just publicly display our faith the most. I truly believe that Jesus was looking over both our shoulders throughout the whole season and put these two teams on a pedestal for a reason.”

Maybe so.

Has God handpicked these athletes and helped them succeed? Or have these athletes achieved their successes on their own and are merely acknowledging God’s work in their lives?

Does God Take Sides?

The Bible tells us that God makes the sun shine on both good and evil people. For an event inconsequential to eternal life and death matters, it would stand to reason that God would sit back and enjoy the game with the rest of us, relying on His laws of nature to determine the outcome. May the better team win.

But does He care who wins?

Why should He? After all, bombs are falling on people in Ukraine. There’s a food shortage among the rubble in Gaza. Rebel warriors are slaughtering innocent people in Sudan. Gangs have taken over Haiti. And children are being trafficked in the United States. Doesn’t He have more important things to tend to than a sporting event?

But God does work all things together for the good of those who love Him. With this world’s intertwining of individuals, groups, communities, and nations, we can’t begin to explain how He does that.

Maybe God is elevating these highly successful Christian athletes because that’s where our collective attention in America – and around the world – lies. Perhaps God is answering His people’s prayers for revival in this country. And He’s showcasing its unfolding.

It’s hard to conceive of a loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God indifferent to anything. Even our freedom to choose what to eat comes with temptations to abuse our bodies. If He numbers the hairs on our heads, feeds birds that don't stock pantries, and wants no one to perish, then wouldn't He care about what happens in sporting events? After all, sports aren’t amoral. It matters how we play, how we lose, and how we win.

Whether or not an athlete is a Christian, he will be more prone to succeed by following Christian principles such as being diligent and earnest, having self-control and persistence, and getting along with others.

I think God does care about who wins, but his calculus is much different than ours. The stakes are more important than a trophy, money, and bragging rights.

We may never know why God allowed the Eagles to win the Super Bowl this year, but we do know His name was exalted in the process.

The pendulum is swinging. Untold millions are hearing the name of Jesus. A God thing is happening.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Copyright © 2025 Tim Bishop