For those of you who don’t know me, I’m from the state of Alabama. I can be found singing Sweet Home Alabama at the top of my lungs every time it’s played. While I am neither a die hard Alabama nor Auburn fan (Go Vols!), I can appreciate how dominate the schools are in the NCAA, and I’m proud we’ve kept the National Championship trophies in our state for the last few years. As a Huntsville native, I am proud of the Space and Rocket Center, and I didn’t realize that dirt wasn’t red until I was in high school. I’m an Alabamian through and through.

So, it makes sense that as an article was floating around Facebook to vote for “Alabama’s Mount Rushmore” (which is just voting on top Alabamians to represent the state, not really going to be a carving in the side of a mountain any time soon), I jumped on the bandwagon. I wanted to see which famous Alabamians made the list, and I was excited to share my opinion on the matter (I know you’re not surprised!). It was an exciting list to sift through! Helen Keller, Booker T Washington, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Jesse Owens, Hank Aaron, Hank Williams (Jr. and Sr.), Condoleeza Rice, Bear Bryant, Bo Jackson, Harper Lee, Tim Cook, Nat King Cole, and so many more! Alabama has produced some rockstars!

Once you complete the form, you can see the results thus far. Of course I was interested! Who had other Alabamians deemed worthy to represent our state? Who did they idolize?

Let’s suffice it to say that I was not amused, nor was I proud to be from sweet home Alabama when I read it.

Of the top three, two of them were football coaches. Yes, you read that right, football. Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. They BEAT Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and mostly everyone else. Helen Keller was fortunate enough to sneak into spot number two. She wasn’t number one, which is baffling, but still, you’re seeing my disbelief, right? Football coaches.

Given the way the last couple of weeks have panned out, I can’t say that I’m surprised. Some of you may not know, but I am currently living in North Charleston, SC. We are having a lot of issues right now, as you’ve probably seen on the news. And it’s a problem that’s prevalent all throughout this nation, and I think this survey gives a glimpse into why. Our priorities are all out of whack.

I like football. I enjoy going to games, tailgating, wearing team apparel, and singing fight songs. But football isn’t more important than freedom. A man fighting for a national championship shouldn’t be regarded with the same esteem as someone who is fighting for the freedom of human beings. No sport is more important than equality.

But that’s our society, right? We are so focused on stuff and things and entertainment that we stop caring or emphasizing human rights. Paul wrote to the Galatians that, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” When this isn’t the standard our world is living by, we have work to do! We (Christians!) have souls to stand up for and defend! We have people to convert to Jesus and His word! We have more important stuff to do than football.

If we want to be seen as people who are living like Jesus, we have to be more passionate about Jesus’ cause than we are about physical things that are temporary (like national championships, etc.). We have to be people whose lives are characterized by the teachings of Jesus – teachings about defending the helpless and reaching out to the lost and hurting. We can’t be people who show prejudice or cowardice. Instead, we have to love like Jesus loved…and that means we’ll see the world for what it is – lost – and we’ll go out and do something about it.

I want to have a heart like Jesus. I want to imitate Him in my every day life. Sometimes, it takes waking up and realizing how short I’m falling, and that motivates me to do better. That’s the kind of week I’ve had. I’ve come face to face with my short comings, and I want to do and be better. I want to love like Jesus loved – and that’s a love that looks past race or gender or social class. It’s a love that seeks the best good of its object. A love that doesn’t treat people like objects. That’s the goal. Let’s all work to be people who are striving toward that goal, and not a temporary one.