“Super Bowl LII is coming to the Twin Cities on February 4. As of this writing, The Minnesota Vikings are a favored contender to play in our own U.S. Bank Stadium! Precursor events to the championship football game include venues like the Minneapolis Convention Center, Nicollet Mall, Loring Park, Stadium Plaza, and the Ice Palace in Rice Park. All the activity, anticipation, and antics of this annual global phenomenon are branded “Bold North” for our trademark Minnesota winters.
Although the stadium is retrofitted for up to 70,000 game day spectators, one million people are expected to visit the Twin Cities. If they come to encounter Minnesota’s “Bold North,” what would it be like if they were welcomed with United Methodism’s “Warm Hearts”? From a spiritual perspective, winners and losers of a football game are of little consequence. However, our work and witness as a people of faith holds significant stake in peripheral impact from the big game, especially in the areas of human trafficking, homelessness, and hospitality.
Our United Methodist leaders have been at the table with organizations like Source, Heartland Girls’ Ranch, Breaking Free, Cornerstone/Day One, Men as Peacemakers, Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, The Minnesota Council of Churches, Emma Norton Services, Simpson Housing Services, and Super Bowl security to develop opportunities for education, advocacy, and volunteering.”
To read the full blog post by Dan Johnson, click here.