The Christian Century

A friend sent me an e-mail before yesterday's Steelers-Broncos playoff game. He titled it, "The Steelers vs. God. Want to have brunch?"

The Broncos' quarterback, Tim Tebow, has gotten endless press about his ritualistic references in interviews to his "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," but overlooked is the fact that the Steelers also have a devout Christian in their ranks.

Of course, he is a Christian of a different, less vocal kind: safety Troy Polamalu is a convert to Orthodox Christianity. In a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profile last year, Polamalu discussed his religious faith, the history of Christianity and the significance in his life of practices such as fasting, chanting and prayer.

The media seems obsessed with the ins and outs of God's favor and Tebow's popularity. Sometimes I wish it could capture Polamalu's very different kind of spirituality amid the football season's endless hype. Other times I remind myself that a rich and complex life of faith is hard to sum up and advertise.