DownshoreDrift

I know I've been talking about football a lot lately, but it's that time of year when everything is coming to a head and my teams have done well. The New Orleans Saints play in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs Saturday night at 7pm against the Philadelphia Eagles. I'll be watching and, hopefully, cheering loud.

Being from New Orleans, the Saints are bigger than just a sports team. They are a metaphor for the city. "Wait till next year," has always been the mantra for a team that loses far more than it wins and for a city that care forgot. The Saints are embedded into the fabric of New Orleans in a way that outsiders cannot imagine and, whether they are winning or losing (mostly losing with only one playoff victory in their entire history), they are a constant topic of conversation.

Often, the more spiritual among us look down at sports as being a topic not worthy of our conversation. I agree that sports can become an idol as I alluded to in a comment on a previous post, and you have to keep it in perspective. Being a Saints fan helps you do that. You are so used to losing, it doesn't upset you that much. But, I know that during my difficult teen years my Dad and I talked about the Saints and LSU when we didn't talk about anything else. We still call each other during every game and talk through it on the phone. It's a point of contact that often leads to other, more significant topics.

For all New Orleanians, and people from the Gulf South, the Saints are HUGE! I've followed the Saints since I was 6 years old and remember watching games with my Dad and Papaw after church on Sundays. I remember going to games in the Superdome in the late 80's and early 90's when I was in high school. The place gets so loud, you would think a jet engine was sounding off right next to you. People cheer every first down and defensive stop. They sell out every game. They never quit believing that things are going to turn around and the team is going to start winning. That's why, a playoff run in the year after Katrina devastated the region is so remarkable and timely.

To turn this topic in a spiritual direction, I know that when I am in New Orleans, I can quickly build relationships with people who don't know Christ by talking about the Saints. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone wants to talk about it. And, in contrast to the polarization of Alabama, where there is defensiveness if you are not an Alabama or Auburn fan, everyone loves the Saints. That doesn't mean that I'm going to ask someone if they saw the game and then ask if they are going to heaven or hell. It does mean, however, that through conversations over time, sports can be a common denominator that draws us together. Those relationships can lead to other things because you actually become friends with people and see them as more than targets of evangelism. They are peope with hopes, dreams, loyalties, and allegiances. When you share those things with them, there is a common ground that we often don't experience in our religious ivory towers. 

So, tomorrow night, you know where I'll be. Hopefully the Saints will win and advance to the NFC Championship Game. But, if not, New Orleans will accept it and say "wait till next year," like they always do. And, whether they win or lose, the City will continue to chant, "Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Saints?"