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Despite our current culture of extreme secularism, the Baltimore Orioles and many other professional baseball teams are putting on more and more “Faith Nights” to give their Christian players a platform to boldly show and tell others about Jesus.
Baseball is no stranger to promotional nights and giveaways.
Minor league baseball teams often offer wacky promotions that are fitting with their equally humorous team names.
Among many examples, there was “Marathon Night” where the Scranton/Wilkes RailRiders challenged attendees to run a marathon around the ballpark in less time than it took to complete the game. The West Virginia Power held a “Salute to Indoor Plumbing Night,” and the Lowell Spinners held a “Bubble Wrap Night” whereby fans were given an opportunity to pop plastic to their hearts’ delight.
Major League Baseball is also replete with events intended to sell more tickets. Some common promotions include “Bark in the Park” in which fans can bring their dog to the game and “Star Wars Night,” which includes Star Wars giveaways and fans dressed up as their favorite characters.
Yet, surprisingly perhaps, one theme night is growing in popularity among MLB teams: “Faith Night.”
Per Religion Unplugged, at least 18 of the 30 MLB franchises now have a night celebrating religious faith.
Lest you think that MLB organizations are becoming Christian organizations championing their beliefs to the world, these are still purely promotional events just like any other.
It’s important to remember, 29 out of 30 MLB teams currently host an “LGBT Pride Night”; even the Los Angeles Dodgers, which drew the shock and outrage of many after hosting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of drag queens that dresses up as Catholic nuns and mocks the belief system, at its LGBT Pride Night, hosted a Faith Night last season.
They did so largely at the prodding of Christians in the organization, such as Dodger legend Clayton Kershaw, who were eager for a faith night following the team’s decision to mock faith.
No, MLB teams are simply secular businesses who are seeking ways to get the greatest number of fans to purchase a ticket.
Yet even though the motive might not be pure on the part of team executives, Faith Nights should still be viewed as beneficial to the cause of Christian evangelism. For one, it offers encouragement, and an opportunity, for Christian baseball players to speak out about why Jesus Christ is so important to them.
Take for example the Baltimore Orioles who hosted their inaugural Faith Night on Tuesday, August 13.
While the game didn’t go as they had hoped, given their 9-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, it gave thousands of fans the opportunity to worship with players — players who wanted to give fans a look into what they say is the most important part of their lives.
In a promotional for Faith Night, All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg stated,
“My faith means everything to me. It’s who I am, who I identify as. I don’t identify as a baseball player or a person just drifting through this world. I believe I’m held to a higher standard, and I’m called to be something more than just aimlessly wondering why I’m here or have an idea why I am where I’m at. So, it’s my number one reason. Everybody asks, ‘What’s your reason?’ That’s mine.”
During the celebration, the worship team from Reach Church in Newark, Delaware, played songs and hymns as around 6,000 fans and six players praised God.
Players from the Orioles gave testimonies of their Christian faith.
First baseman and designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn said he was nervous, as this was the first time he had spoken to a crowd about his faith. He said that as a 31-year-old professional baseball player, he had been experiencing anxiety regarding his future in a league where mid-30s is considered over the hill.
O’Hearn told the crowd that 1 Peter 5:7 — which encourages believers to cast “all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” — gives him peace in times of stress.
Catcher James McCann also gave his testimony. He asked the crowd to close their eyes and imagine a young married couple who had suffered the tragedy of a stillbirth. When the wife was pregnant again she suffered complications and doctors told her that her child only had a 25 percent chance of surviving but that if the child did survive he would be seriously physically or mentally disabled. Those experts advised aborting the child.
The parents chose to trust God and continue the pregnancy.
After telling the crowd to open their eyes, McCann informed them: “I was that child. From Day One, God has been protecting me.”
McCann’s words meant even more following his gruesome injury on July 29. McCann took a 95 mile-per-hour fastball to the face but still stayed in the game, drawing praise from fans around the world. Later, it turned out that McCann had suffered a broken nose and had to undergo nasal realignment surgery, but he is playing again.
Last year’s Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson told the crowd that “living in the Word” reminds him that God comes before baseball. Henderson said he has been reading a chapter of the New Testament every day.
Before the event, Henderson stated,
“It’s important to me, and I feel like a lot of guys in here, to just express our love for God. To be able to incorporate it into our daily lives, which is kind of tough in the baseball world because of the schedule. We’re playing every day of the week, so being able to show that and help bring somebody else who might not know who He is, is important.”
Faith has been of critical importance to players on this Orioles team. Last season, players held weekly Bible studies and chapel services so they would “have guys you can lean on in that sense and be able to both have that love of Christ and be able just to coach each other and help each other along the way,” Henderson said. “It’s been really cool to have those guys that I can lean on, especially being in my first year.”
Pitcher Danny Coulombe stated, “Obviously for me, and most the guys, [faith] is the most important thing in our life, even more than baseball. We’re Christians first and baseball players second.”
That belief seems to be growing this season. McCann said that as many as 15 players now attend weekly chapel services.
Coulombe agreed, stating, “This is the most faithful team I’ve ever been around.”
For fans who are also Christians, this shift if refreshing. With seemingly every company, tv show, sports team and league, and more seeming to advocate for everything that is against Christian beliefs, it can be easy to try to unplug from the world.
There is definitely a place for that. Christians should refuse to participate in clearly un-Christian activities like “Pride” celebrations, and sometimes refusing to support a “woke” company or team, or watch a particularly blasphemous show or movie, is the right choice.
It’s important to remember, however, that we can’t totally remove ourselves from society. There are many Christians in various sports leagues, and they do have the platform to share their faith with players, coaches, executives, and fans.
Maybe you play baseball or another sport. Consider how you can share Christ through that.
If your favorite sports team hosts a Faith Night, consider buying a ticket and supporting it.
Whatever you do, remember 1 Peter 4:10-11 which states:
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
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