By Kayla DeKraker
Former NFL star Benjamin Watson shares God’s love with everyone he meets and recently opened up about a topic he’s passionate about: justice.
“Justice has always kind of been a thread in my life,” the 44-year-old recently told the Christian Post. “I’ve always been someone who cared about the vulnerable. It’s what leads my advocacy when it comes to the issue of life in the womb, when it comes to mothers, when it comes to racial justice in our country — those sorts of things have always been important to me.”
Lately, he’s leaned into Micah 6:8, which says, “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
“As a family, we decided a while ago that that verse, that concept of justice and walking humbly before God would be the foundation of what we were going to be about as a family,” the ex NFL star explained.
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After a summer mission trip to Guatemala, he was reminded of the many areas where justice is needed.
“This summer, we took our kids to Guatemala on a mission trip with Compassion International, to kind of see how people were living there, but also to advocate for children who were living in poverty,” he explained.
“I felt like I wanted justice to be an ongoing conversation and kind of a way of life, instead of a reaction to a certain instance of injustice. We get riled up, and rightly so, we get emotional about these blatant acts of injustice. But the Bible talks a lot about living in a way that is girded in justice every single day in Scripture.”
He continued, “If we were to live in a way that was equitable and kind and loving and treated people fairly, we wouldn’t have to have the punitive, corrective justice that we talk about.”
On Sept. 2, Watson will a podcast titled “The Just Life,” inspired by Micah 6:8, to share more about his passion.
It will explore “what it means to live a life rooted in justice, faith, and human dignity. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders, thinkers, and everyday heroes who are confronting injustice and building a more equitable world. Justice is not a moment. It’s a lifestyle.”
Whether scoring touchdowns or fighting for life, Watson keeps his life centered on Christ.
“We don’t carry faith with us into sport,” he told The Gospel Coalition earlier this year. “Our faith transforms us from the inside out. And so wherever we go, we bring the Spirit of God with us. Christ is in us. It’s not like I have to figure out how to work my faith into my sport. That’s just who I am.”
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