Does Tim Tebow bug you? I found myself cheering for the Denver Broncos against the Steelers on Sunday night not because I am a fan of Denver (though I have relatives in Colorado) nor because I have any ill feelings towards the Steelers. Many of my friends are Steelers fans. It was the controversial Tim Tebow that had me cheering and overjoyed when they won. Why? Not because I feel obligated to cheer for the Christian and especially not because I have any delusions that Tebow winning a game (or Superbowl for that matter) would do anything for the reputation of Christianity. It actually really bugs me when Christians get super geeked for celebrity Christians as if their testimony is going to convert the masses. In fact, it seems to have an opposite effect. Certainly with Tebow, the media loves to bash him for his faith and big headlines are made any time another Christian suggests that Tim should simmer down about his faith. And that is exactly why I have been cheering for him this season. Since the media loves to hate him and many sports bloggers and reporters have actually stated that they want him to fail big in the NFL, I want him to be a huge success. The issue is not exactly Tim Tebow. It is Jesus actually. People don’t want anyone to fuss over Jesus and when someone in the spotlight turns attention to Jesus, it really gets some people angry. Their anger, I believe, stems from a rebellion toward God and Jesus in particular. So, the more the guy is in the spotlight, the more those people are exposed for their hatred. Not that most people will really notice it for what it is though. As for the celebrity Christians testimony converting masses… I don’t believe God needs anyone to do that. His gospel is spread by faithful people and hearts are changed not by a celebrity testimony but by the work of the Holy Spirit.
As for the Tebow mystique as some have been calling it, it is fascinating just how many people are paying attention. CBS Sports Columnist Gregg Doyel said “He isn’t in the same class as an athlete, but as a spectacle Tebow is Tiger Woods leading the Masters on Sunday afternoon. He’s Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals. He’s the Yankees in the World Series.What’s the NFL comparison to Tebow? There isn’t one. We’re watching a new reality unfold, right before our eyes, and what we saw Sunday strained credibility. It was incredible. It was fantastical. It was damn near a Bible story. With the country watching, because that’s what we do, Tebow threw for 316 yards Sunday against the Steelers — this game will go down in NFL lore as Tebow: 316.”
He is certainly not the first athlete or celebrity to praise Jesus and credit God with his success. So, what is different about him that stirs such controversy and attention that his prayer position has been labelled “Tebowing”? (“It’s like planking, but dumber,” according to a headline on a Yahoo sports site.) Could it be his humility? Doyel notes “When he isn’t making people uncomfortable with his religious talk — like it or not, there are people who do get uncomfortable — Tebow is charming them with his guilelessness. He talks like an earnest 20-year-old, and he refuses to be goaded into self-absorption. When he is asked about teammates, he praises them. When he is asked about coaches, he praises them. When he is asked about himself, he praises God. Some people love that. Some don’t. Either way, it has contributed to the larger-than-sports, almost larger-than-life, mystique of Tebow.” Could it be the authenticity of his faith, which is seen in such things as his commitment to taking mission trips and plans to open a children’s hospital in the Philippines? Is he maybe stepping on the toes of liberals who think they have an exclusive claim to social justice? We certainly see them paint conservatives as heartless, selfish and evil when it comes to dealing with such matters as poverty.
The Tebow mystique raises lots of questions about our current culture and society and just how “tolerant” they are. Would he be so criticized for his faith if he were a Muslim? Does the pro-life advertisement he and his mother made a few years back factor into the reaction to him? There is plenty to reflect on here and lots to discuss with our students. And its more about the reactions to him than it is about Tebow himself. Like I said, I think the issue is not Tim but Jesus.
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