Underdog Story
I love a good underdog story! Especially one that is played out in real life or on a huge stage for the world to see. In fact, at some level I believe many of us have a special place in our hearts for the underdog.
One of my favorite cartoons growing up as a child, which I never seemed to see enough of on TV, was Underdog. I’d watch anytime I could find it televised, and though it was not readily available in my viewing area, I still enjoyed it.
So in the days leading up to Super Bowl XLIV, I wasn’t surprised to see a large majority of the predictions picking the Indianapolis Colts as the next winners of the Big Game. They had a dominating offense, more skilled weapons, superior “big game” experience, and a defensive unit that has shown flashes of greatness and dominance through the 2009 regular season.
The New Orleans Saints, on the other hand, were only picked by 1 ESPN football analyst to win Super Bowl XLIV for a large variety of reasons – inexperience in big games, little playoff experience on the part of the players, fewer big play weapons, and a history rich in losing in New Orleans (remember the “Aints”?)
And then the game happened.
I sat in a living room with about 30 students and parents from Coastal Oaks Church (as 1 of only 3 Saints fans, but that’s another story) and watched as the Colts came out and dominated early, thanks largely to DL Dwight (the Beast) Freeney, but never put New Orleans away. And then, Peyton Manning throws the nail-in-the-coffin interception (eventually) in the 3rd quarter to Saints CB Tracy Porter who returns it 60+ yards for a TD. A defensive TD. In the Super Bowl. Ouch Colts. Ouch Peyton.
And the Colts could not ever recover from that most costly mistake. When the clock ran out, New Orleans had defeated Indianapolis by a score of 31-17 and earned (yes, earned!) their 1st ever NFL Championship. The underdog is now the champion!
As I watched the events of the Super Bowl unfold, I was reminded about several things from Scripture concerning underdogs. Let me see if I can chase these thoughts down for you…
1. Numbers really don’t matter (or exist) in spiritual matters:
I wonder how many different ways we could illustrate this point from Scripture? David and Goliath? Jesus feeds 5000 (men) with a boys lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Gideon defeats the Midianites with 300 men, after starting with an army of 30,000? Understanding this truth is basic to a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
In my understanding, numbers are at their most basic level, are an attempt by the human mind to understand volume. Many times God moves outside or over and above what we think we know and comprehend. He moves at times in our lives other than the 1-2 hours we spend at church on Sunday, if we choose to go. God defies numerical definitions. It’s a box in which He simply does not fit!
2. God has an affinity for the underdog:
This is best illustrated by #1 – that numbers don’t really matter to God. He can (and does regularly) move on behalf of those who are forgotten and left out. He watches over those who are neglected and oppressed.
But the most important thing to do here is understand why. Why does God have an affinity for the underdog? God loves the underdog because when the underdog wins, the knowledge of experts is shown to be foolishness, and generally speaking, people are more open to a supernatural explanation. How can anyone explain the logistics of feeding 5000 people in 1 day with 5 loaves of bread, which were more like flat cakes or gordita bread, and 2 fish. It doesn’t work and can only be explained in miraculous terms.
Is God a fan of the New Orleans Saints football team? Well, I honestly can’t answer that, but I doubt God sits in His heavenly recliner kicked back on Sunday afternoons rooting for 1 team over another. But God does love the underdog – His Word illustrates it again and again! Are you an underdog? Are you small, left out, over-looked, forgotten, oppressed, and/or neglected?
Be encouraged! The Creator God of heaven loves you more than you know!
Totally agree. When Christ was looking for a few good men he didn’t go to the local religious learning centers, he went fishing. I am soooo encouraged by that, as a non-college attending person, it’s nice to know the Father can and will use me when I say whatever You want Father. This time like then still has an affinity for people with a certain background and education we still don’t get that all the Father needs is a person willing to say yes to whatever He wants. Over here we see many examples of the Father using people that in the U.S. we would not give a second glance to just because they are willing. Please don’t look at yourself through the worlds eyes or standards just be willing to say “here I am send me” this world would be totally different. I dare say that every tongue tribe and nation would hear of our Lord, if we did this. Done, climbing down off the soapbox. Love you all so much and I’m so proud of the growth the Father has done at Coastal, keep plugging along and reaching outside and inside for those who He misses most.
Good stuff Andy!