Pure Glory

by Hazel Straub

“Here is a call for endurance of the saints, those who keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” Revelation 14:12
“Who dat?  Who dat?  Who dat say they dem gonna beat dem Saints?” New Orléans Saints fans

God often speaks through events or common happenings in our culture. Jesus of Nazareth would  tell stories about familiar things to illustrate a spiritual truth. Super Bowl XLIV (44) was something that to me illustrates a message for the church.  Four represents a door and the creation made by the Creator. It also is three, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit plus one, you. This Super Bowl was a vehicle for a double door through which the Creator would show his creation, the true triumphant church.

The Indianapolis Colts were the favorite to win over the New Orléans Saints. They had one earlier Super Bowl win and a well-functioning team.  Their quarterback had been Most Valuable Player for the season and their coach had a great reputation. On the other hand, the Saints had never won a Super Bowl and it did not look like they would win this time either.  Some news reports stated that the Saints felt shame and embarrassment over their past failures.  Although the Saints had been in the National Football League for forty-three years, they had not been known for winning.  They were often described as the greatest underdogs.  In 1980, the spectators named them the “Aints” and the stands filled with people wearing paper bags over their heads, due to the shame of how poorly the Saints played.  Their fans did not think they deserved the name Saints and they were known as the worst team in NFL history.  The descendants of these “Aints” played in the Super Bowl.

There was a contrast between the team names chosen for the Saints and the Colts. The Bible calls Christians saints that are holy, dedicated, set apart, sacred, pure and blameless because of the blood of Jesus applied to their lives. A colt is as a young male horse under the age of four and it is known to have endless energy.

In August 2005, New Orléans suffered through Hurricane Katrina and as a result the devastation made it look like the city would stay uninhabitable due to 85% of the city being under water and all of its residents evacuated.  New Orléans and the Saints both suffered from defeats that could have been death blows.  In 2006, Sean Payton, joined the Saints as coach and told the players that their stories mirrored his, as the unwanted, underrated, unlikely and unloved.  Payton saw them as champions and encouraged them to believe and contend for this, despite the odds. The team chose to believe their coach and not anyone else.  Payton hired Drew Brees, a free agent that others held in derision and bypassed due to his being short and having a shoulder injury that the physicians had predicted could never be repaired.  Brees was a devout Christian who rebuilt his shoulder and his reputation, while relying on his faith.  He also encouraged many as he worked alongside others to help rebuild New Orléans.  New Orléans and the Saints were  both resurrected.

Super Bowl 2010 was a highly anticipated event with 75,000 watching the game in the stands in Miami, Florida, while 106.5 million people watched it by television not just in the United State but around the world.  This allowed a huge multitude to see that a champion comes from how one sees oneself not in how others describe them.

The Colts gained an early lead that they sustained to the end of the third quarter.  The Saints came from behind and secured their victory in the last quarter of the game.  The team worked smoothly together and despite having more than forty years of shame and defeat, upset the Colts with a win of 31-17, in the biggest comeback ever seen in the Super Bowl.  The most valuable player for the game was the Saints’ quarterback, Drew Brees.  In a moment, the despised and overlooked were champions, with the disgrace of the past erased.

Super Bowl 2010 is an illustration showing that it is never too late.  It does not matter how many defeats that you have experienced in the past. It does not matter that the game is almost over and you are not winning.  No matter how much shame and embarrassment you have endured, this is a new day and a new season.  Although you may feel unwanted, underrated, unlikely and unloved it is the present truth that compels you to victory.  Coach Jesus has declared that you are champions and winners. It is time to believe and act on the words of Jesus not on how others define you.  Just as the Saints and New Orléans experienced resurrection from the dead, so has the true church.  Despite those who characterize the true saints as being unwanted, the True Church Triumphant is arising to confound the world.  They will say: “Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?”