THOUGHTS ABOUT TIM TEBOW

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1)

I’m a New England Patriots fan, and as such, I enjoyed watching Saturday night’s
(Jan. 14, 2012) big Patriots win against the Denver Broncos in their important AFC playoff game. It was a COLD New England night. It had to be BRUTAL to be at Gillette Stadium watching the entire game in subzero wind-chill conditions, but I don’t think the Patriots’ fans minded. As exciting and just plain GREAT as this win was, there was just ONE aspect of it that was, well, kind of sad for a serious evangelical Christian like me. That’s the fact that the Patriots having such a huge win meant it was a huge loss of Denver quarterback Tim Tebow.

The Tebow phenomenon has been, well, amazing and unusual. This young player that many people had never heard of until November has taken the country by a storm. It was reported just this past week that he is now the most popular athlete in the country. Tebow is just not typical as NFL quarterbacks go. The former University of Florida player has an unusual style for an NFL quarterback. Drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2010, during this season he has led the previously lackluster Broncos to a number of amazing wins, frequently in coming from behind during the fourth quarter. The Broncos’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers LAST weekend STUNNED a number of seasoned football fans and commentators. It’s NOT so much his unorthodox style and amazing achievements on the field that have garnered the bulk of the attention, however. The thing most people are talking about is Tebow’s evangelical Christian faith. His public demonstrations of faith and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ along with his frank revelation that he’s a virgin and that the most important matters in his life are his faith in God, and his practical living out of that faith in missionary endeavors have caused people of every stripe to take notice. The taking notice of Tebow has led to everything from extreme admiration of Tebow from people on the “religious” end of the spectrum, to contempt, sarcasm, and even hatred from nonbelievers at the other end of the spectrum.

The matter of SOME professional athletes and other celebrities being “born again Christians” and sharing their faith publicly in one form or another is not as unusual as one might at first think. Tom Landry, the legendary coach of the Dallas Cowboys back in the ‘60s and ‘70s was an outspoken evangelical Christian who did not shy away from speaking at Billy Graham Crusade meetings. The same kind of thing can be said about Tony Dungy who coached the Colts in much more recent years. Kurt Warner who played for the Packers, Rams, and Cardinals, is a highly committed evangelical Christian. Some of you will recall that he led the Rams in that 2002 Super Bowl meeting with the Patriots in which Brady led the Pats to their first Super Bowl victory. Many long term Boston Red Sox fans know that Rico Petrocelli is a born again Christian as is a guy who played for the Sox in much more recent years. Outside of the athletic arenas, many will remember that Jimmy Carter had the whole country talking about what it meant to be “born again” back in 1976 as did former Nixon “hatchet man” Chuck Colson in 1977.

The thing that is different about Tebow is that he has been SO outspoken and demonstrative about his Christian faith...possibly more so than all of the above Christian athletes and celebrities put together. I know that’s really rankled some folks.

“Religion is a PRIVATE matter,” some have bluntly said, “WHY doesn’t he just keep his faith PRIVATE and QUIET?!”

Some have also quoted from Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus DOES say that people should NOT be doing their praying and giving to charity in public demonstrations to garner praise and support for themselves. They’ve freely accused Tebow of doing this. On the one hand, in certain cases and situations, that argument DOES have some merit. I’ve been moving in evangelical Christian circles for over forty years. I’ve seen a LOT of Christians who in one way or another bragged about their prayer lives or who “prayed” in a sensational manner in public to call attention to themselves. AND, I’ve been around a few Christians who didn’t mind letting everybody know things like, “Hey I REACHED right for my checkbook, and wrote out a check for $5,000 for that missionary! This is my path to God’s blessings!” Yes, there are “Christians” of that ilk who frankly make me want to throw up!

The thing is, I DON’T think Tebow, despite his outward demonstrations of faith and praise, is THAT kind of Christian. When I hear people ask< “WHY can’t these evangelicals just KEEP their faith to THEMSELVES?!” I want to launch into an explanation of what an “evangelical” is. An “evangelical” is one who believes that the “Good News of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ is available for EVERYONE and that God wants this message ACTIVELY AND PUBLICLY PROCLAIMED by all Believers.” There are verses such as Mark 8:38 which indicate that we should NOT be shy and private about our faith. That verse says:

“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

I don’t want to bore anyone with a listing of Bible verses, but if you check it out, the evangelicals’ claim that they MUST be public and freely proclaiming their faith is very much New Testament doctrine and is quite correct.

Now, do I think God really cares if the Patriots win and Denver loses, or vice versa. I feel a little weird trying to speak for God, but my gut feeling is that God doesn’t care. I don’t think we’re supposed to be praying, “God, let my team win.” NOT when there are so many more important things to pray about! But, to thank God for the opportunity to pray in the NFL; to thank God for one’s talents and abilities, to thank God for the coaches and the fans, etc.; to pray that one’s football career could be a positive example and role model to others, well, all that stuff is a very good thing.

Last week, a Patriots fan called up the Jim and Margery show on BostonTalks 96.9 and said that although he wanted the Patriots to win, IF Denver won, he really wouldn’t be all that sorry. I had been feeling the same way. I’m thrilled that the Patriots won and won big. BUT, it bothers me that there’ll be plenty of swearing and obscenities proclaimed against Tebow and his God; an attitude of “We showed that God-guy a thing or two...now he can take his Bible back to the locker room and SHUT UP!”

I’m thrilled the Patriots won, but in my humble opinion, if Tebow never won another game, he is still a winner. He loves God; he is not ashamed to say he’s received Jesus Christ as His Personal Lord and Savior. He’s not out sponsoring dog fighting rings. He’s not at some strip club having relations with every cheap girl who’ll have him. He’s not stinkin’ drunk and foul mouthed. He’s not a selfish jerk. He’s got a good name. And as the verse from Proverbs above says, that’s to be chosen rather than great riches, silver or gold.