Don't bother getting bent out of shape over SF Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt's outspoken religiosity, because he and Jesus have already triumphed. "I don't have to get angry at someone if they don't agree with me when I talk about Jesus," he wrote yesterday in his weekly HuffPo blog.
"They can get mad; that's okay. I can just love. Love has already won." Perhaps in a city where "love" is synonymous with the San Francisco Giants, we'd better agree.
A man of (religious) principles, Affeldt famously returned $500,000 to the Giants after a typo in his contract netted him an accidental bonus before the 2010 season. If the man ever chopped down a cherry tree, it's safe to say he'd come clean about it. In fact, Affeldt has even fessed up to some previously held stigmas: In his book, To Stir A Movement, Life, Justice and Major League Baseball, he came out as a "cured" homophobe.
While a Kansas City Royal, San Francisco was a faith-testing city for the now three-time World Series champion Giant. "I didn't leave my hotel room when we came to play the Giants or A's. I didn't want to go out or see anyone," he said to the Associated Press.
"There's a chapter in [the book] of me coming to San Francisco and being hesitant because I had homophobia, and now I don't. I see San Francisco as a city of love and a city of passion and compassion." Looks like Sin Francisco rubbed off on Affeldt after all, though the Giant now lives with his family in his hometown of Spokane, Washington.
Returning to this week's sermon blog post, the laureled Affeldt vowed not to rest. "Even with victory declared, the story still has to play out. There are people out there that don't yet understand. As soon as they accept Jesus and become adopted into His family, they will share in the victory." If I accept Madison Bumgarner in my heart, does that count?