Mike Singletary is a great football player. He knows how to crack the opposing team's skulls when they hit each other. Today I read an article about a new book by Curtis Eichelberger who has interviewed one NFL player after another about any conflicts they have between their role as skull-crusher and their religious faith which calls on them to "Turn the other cheek". Exodus 20 lists the Ten Commandments. The first one is "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" and the tenth is "Thou shalt not kill." Many of these professional athletes have watched opponents return to the huddle glassy-eyed and unable to state their name. Others have been a part of a crippling accident or too many hits to the head of opponents. Is it a game or an arena to maim?
Singletary remembered vividly smashing Sylvester Stamps in a brutal collision which left Stamps in a "crumpled, motionless mass". Singletary watched in horror until his opponent got up, fearing that he had done some permanent damage. Singletary took a knee and began praying. Finally, it looked like Stamps would be okay. And the game went on!
The book tells of Singletary's questioning his role and his conflict between annihilating his enemies and turning the other cheek in a game that he loved. He opted, in the end, for the love of the game and he asked the Lord: "Lord, every play I'm going to give you everything I have. From the bottom of my feet, all the way to the top of my head, every tackle, every block." He decided that it was his responsibility to God to play as hard as he could.
He said he was at peace with his decision.
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