Equal time

Since we are commanded to be unified in the body of Christ, it is only right to give equal blog-space to the Seattle Seahawks (again, in case you have been on another planet for the last week, they are the other team in this Sunday's Super Bowl).

Facing the favored Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon at Ford Field in downtown Detroit, Holmgren said he is counting on a different kind of power to make it through another crazy Super Bowl week: his personal faith in Jesus Christ.

“If I didn’t have a foundation in my faith with Christ to keep me through the high and lows of this week and every week, this job it would be very hard,” he said during the Jan. 31 media day.

“My faith gives you a perspective and that’s the most important thing in this job,” he shared.

Holmgren’s eternal perspective allowed him to send his wife Kathy and one of their four daughters on a medical mission trip with Northwest Medical Team, a Portland-based group this week to Africa, where they will be during Sunday’s championship game with Pittsburgh.

“My wife has been there before [on a mission trip] and my daughter is a nurse so they will enjoy it more. It’s more important.”

More important than the Super Bowl? That’s the ultimate message Holmgren subtly sought to spread to the disbelieving media.

While not outspoken about his faith when talking about football matters, Holmgren said he is happy to share the reason for his success with anyone who asks and the reason for the team’s surprising post-season success.

“I’ve always said this [job] would be hard without my faith,” the head coach said.

Defensive line coach Zerick Rollins said Holmgren is good about setting the tone for the team’s preparation for Sunday’s big game or any game.

“My faith in God is first in everything I do. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Super Bowl or a preseason game,” Rollins said. “You have to prepare to do your job and do it well, but the first thing you do is give God praise because He deserves it.”

Running backs coach Stump Mitchell has seen the high and lows of the NFL as a player with the St. Louis Cardinals and a coach for the last seven years with the Seahawks. As a Christian leader on the coaching staff, he knows this can be a tough week for his team.

“We have a lot of mountains to climb and a lot of temptations to face, but our faith puts it all in perspective.

“This,” Mitchell said of the Super Bowl, “is a small issue to God.”

This one must be a tough choice for God. While it really is a "small issue to God" in light of eternity, He does direct the course of human events. So, which team would God choose? Which group of believers will succeed?

I am in no play to speak for God on this issue, but.... Go Steelers!