The moment it happened, everyone noticed. A young, healthy football player falling to the ground and not moving is something nobody wants to see. The reaction was what amazed and fascinated me. Yes, there were the usual medical folks responding, the huddle of people around the injured, concerned and eager for good news. But then the football game turned into a prayer service! Players, coaches, and assistants from both teams on their knees surrounded their fallen comrade with prayer and privacy.
The EMTs kept Damar Hamlin alive physically and they deserve much thanks for their quick and persistent attention. But I truly believe prayer is ultimately what kept Damar alive. James shared about how important and effective prayer can be in his letter to his Christian brothers and sisters (see James 5:16). What happens when a whole crowd, stadium, and nation of people pray together? It looks like we are finding out.
By now, we all know that Damar is a man of faith, and he has not been private about it. There are a number of Christian athletes who use the platform of their profession to lift up their faith and their Lord. But the response to Damar’s situation was far greater than anyone could have imagined before it happened. I’m still amazed and pleased at Dan Orlovski praying during a live ESPN broadcast for Damar. (Watch this wonderful moment here.) His public prayer went viral all over the world, and was covered by such mass media outlets as the New York Post, Sports Illustrated, and Newsweek.
What comes to mind is Jesus’ words about dying. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). Damar was fruitful in his life before this incident, but look at what happened afterward! And he is alive still (again?) to tell of God’s goodness to him many more times!
I am not sure how much of this would have happened if Damar had been private with his beliefs. Oh, I’m sure there would have been those who prayed, but not to the national scale that we’ve seen. Nor would as many folks re-told the story of his faith or been emboldened to tell their own. It makes me also wonder what would happen if more of us who walk with Jesus were more public with our stories.
I had a conversation not long ago with someone who was very clear that their faith was a private thing, something so personal that they didn’t like to talk about it. I can respect that – I was raised in a family where we didn’t talk about our inner feelings or what we believed most of the time. But Christianity is not intended to be a private faith. Jesus was not bashful about telling his disciples to speak up! There are many examples, but I think of two in particular. As recorded in Acts 1:8, Jesus tells his disciples to be witnesses. As far as I am familiar, there’s no such thing as a silent witness. Witnesses are specifically called to speak up (either in word or writing) and tell what they see and hear. In the second passage, Jesus describes what will happen when the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples. The Spirit will testify, and the disciples will therefore testify. (Read it here.)
Christianity is a public faith, and I think that when we’re willing to go out of our comfort zone with what we believe, God does some amazing things through us.
He certainly did with Damar Hamlin.