Last Monday night, like millions of other football fans, I sat down to watch the highly anticipated matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. About nine minutes into the first quarter, Bills safety Damar Hamlin, after making a tackle, stood up and seconds later fell to the ground. It quickly became evident that his condition was incredibly serious--and indeed, it was later learned he went into cardiac arrest.

Thankfully, after nine minutes of CPR and by using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), the Bills medical staff was able to restore Hamlin’s pulse. He was then transported by ambulance to a local hospital and listed in critical condition. He has significantly improved in the past week, returning home to Buffalo earlier this week.

The response to Hamlin’s heart attack on national television was interesting on several levels.

The first remarkable thing were the sudden appeals to God coming from the public square. Over and over again, commentators, analysists, reporters, team members, and coaches expressed the need for prayer. The Monday Night Football coverage team of Suzy Kolber, Booger McFarland, Adam Scheffler, Ryan Clark, Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, and others repeatedly said things like, “all we can do is pray.”

It’s amazing how a secular world, facing potential death, often turns its attention to God (see Jeremiah 2:27). Such a change of attitude points to the knowledge of God that exists within every person (see Romans 1:19). Yet, I could not help but wonder, how many of those same people who talked about prayer would blame God had Hamlin not survived (see Jeremiah 2:29). However, it was moving to hear so many speak publicly of asking God to spare Damar’s life.

Second, the media's ability to generate massive action was on display. Each year, 400,000 Americans experience cardiac arrest. But because Hamlin’s was so public, and took place within the context of professional sports, it generated a huge outpouring of concern and support. Candlelight vigils, tee shirts, and even football fields across the country outlined the number 3 (Damar’s jersey number) of both 30 yard lines in Buffalo Bill colors. Damar’s foundation, Chasing M’s, established as a toy drive for his community, had an original goal of raising 2,500 dollars. In the last six days 8.6 million dollars has been donated.

Third, Damar’s heart attack put sports in proper perspective. When it comes to issues of life and death, football takes a back seat. Last Monday night, it soon became obvious that the game could not continue. Seeing the emotional trauma the incident brought upon team members, there was just no way they could have performed on the field. Troy Aikman rhetorically commented, “How do you, as a member of the Buffalo Bills or the Cincinnati Bengals, continue to play football?”

What happened last Monday night at Paycor Stadium gives all of us pause to consider our priorities. Do we take sports, particularly football, too seriously? Do we spend too much time and money on it? Is it a distraction from other more important things?

One final observation is how the Christian faith has impacted the world of sports. I’m very grateful for athletes who publicly exhibit devotion to Jesus Christ. Sunday’s NFL games featured teams gathering on the field for a time of prayer. I sensed a bit of irony in this whereas it wasn’t that long ago Tim Tebow was mocked for doing the same. But tragedy has a way of opening hearts. And I pray Damar’s brush with death will become a platform for the gospel. On Saturday, Damar posted ‘Keep praying for me” on Instagram. I will pray for him and will pray that God will use this incident to open hearts and cause all of us to reevaluate our priorities.