Spiritual | Shattered Identity to God's Delight with Fr. Ben Keller
Father Ben Keller—a Dominican priest and former college baseball player— is back to explore the powerful intersection of sports and spirituality. He opens up about his grueling battle with an autoimmune disease that shattered his athletic identity, forcing him to let go of pride, embrace weakness, and truly surrender to God's grace. Fr. Ben and host Sam Kelley dive into how the discipline of training can beautifully translate into a deeper spiritual life, unpacking complex theological concepts like "non-competitive agency" and the way grace builds upon human nature. Ultimately, listeners are challenged to look past their performance and embrace the profound truth that God simply delights in them—leaving athletes with a tangible challenge to commit just 10 minutes a day to active participation in their faith.
Takeaway:
Recognize and accept God's infinite delight: Understand that God's love and delight in you are infinite and extend to everything you do (ordered toward Him), rather than being tied only to a specific athletic gift or performance.
Commit to active participation: Because athletes understand daily commitment, they should apply that same effort to the spiritual life, actively participating in a relationship with God rather than just expecting Him to fix things.
Start with 10 minutes a day: Build a daily habit of prayer and connection by starting small, committing to just 10 minutes a day (which is less than 1% of the day) to avoid burning out.