During a press conference at Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp in St. Josephs, Missouri, Super Bowl winning kicker Harrison Butker was asked once more about the commencement address he gave this past May at Benedictine College.
Speaking in Atchison, Kansas, on Saturday, May 11, 2024, Butker offered heartfelt and convictional thoughts on a variety of hot button cultural issues, including the sanctity of life, gender confusion, family, marriage, parenting and restrictive COVID policies. His speech, which was shaped by his deep love for the Lord, was widely mocked and belittled. Critics pounced, criticizing and labeling the dedicated kicker as being misogynistic, bigoted and ignorant.
Here was the passage that really sent critics into orbit:
For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.
Reasonable people considered Butker’s comments to be thoughtful, healthy and biblically consistent. The unreasonable? Not so much. Pressed again earlier this week, the courageous kicker didn’t back down.
“I prayed about it, I thought about it, and I was very intentional with what I said,” Butker replied. “I stand by what I said.”
Harrison went on to say his comments “came from a place of love, not a place of trying to attack or put people down.”
In many ways, Harrison Butker is putting on a tutorial for Christians everywhere on how to navigate a confused and hostile world.
Like Butker, Christians shouldn’t retreat or apologize for holding to biblical positions.
Like Butker, we should pray before we speak, think intently and deliberately about the subject and substance of what we plan to say or do, and then communicate or act with purpose and conviction.
And like Butker, we should never back down when the criticism comes.
It was the apostle Paul who showed the way forward in a contentious and caustic cultural climate:
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (Eph. 6:13).
Thank you for standing firm, Harrison Butker. Your resolve will embolden and encourage others to do likewise.
Image from Getty.
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