The Saints are going to the Super Bowl.

My head hit the pillow pondering what the moment means to our city. I dreamt about it. I work up with it still on my mind, and it was all I could think about while I ran this morning.

It is a surreal moment that is forty-three years in the making. Forty-three or four and a half…depending on how you count.

We’ve had it rough, haven’t we? Decades of losing has seemingly spilled beyond the football field and into our lives.

Our economy and education go down the tubes. Crime and corruption steadily rise. The close-knit bonds that kept our community together slowly unravel as more and more relocate.

And then there was Katrina.

It felt like the final body blow that put us down for the count. Observers from around the country shook their heads and turned to walk away.

But we kept breathing. We shook the stars out of our head and staggered to our feet. We refused to give in.

For many of us, this feels like a morning of triumph. We have finally achieved the victory that has eluded us all these years.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the cold, hard truth is that we can’t relax, we must keep swinging.

Reality is less like the trophy ceremony and more like the tie score at halftime.

I feel less like Sharper holding up the trophy and more like Reggie right after the fumble. “It ain’t over. I think I still got another TD in my bones.”

We have been winning some battles lately, but the war isn’t over.

So as I reflect on things this morning, I believe that this is a morning of hope. We have faith. We see the future that can be ours. It is within our grasp.

If the Saints can actually make it to the Super Bowl [admit it, you didn't think it was really possible, did you?], then our city can be transformed.

The question is, are we willing to work for it?

The reason we are planting a church in New Orleans is because we believe that she can be restored one neighborhood at a time.

We’ve seen the power of the church unleashed upon our city, haven’t we? Wave after wave of churches have come into our town and lovingly helped us rebuild.

The next wave will be New Orleanians banding together and fighting together, becoming Jesus’ Hands as He rebuilds our lives, our souls and our city.

That’s really what the church is supposed to be, right? It’s a team. A rally. A brotherhood. It is the Kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven. It’s light in a dark world. It is love in the midst of hate. It is hope in the midst of tragedy.

New Orleans needs more than a new mayor. It needs a new movement of God.

We believe.

Are you with us?

As you think through your year end giving, we would love for you to consider us!