From Pastor Rich
Tim Tebow is perhaps the most controversial figures in American sports today – not because he’s political, not because he’s even very outspoken. But because he is a fusion of two things of which people hold strong opinions – sports and faith.
There are Tim Tebow lovers, and Tim Tebow haters, although at the moment the haters quite outnumber the lovers. He’s an intriguing figure. As a very successful college football quarterback he won numerous awards, including two NCAA National Football Championships (with University of Florida) and the Heisman Trophy, the only college sophomore to ever win that honor. Drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, in his rookie year, he quickly moved from back up to starting quarterback and had success, especially in engineering late game comeback drama. He’s been fun to watch… especially when your team isn’t playing against him. He has sufficient talent to propel him forward which can not be said of most successful college quarterbacks. That said, it’s not really his talent or his luck which has gotten him into trouble, but his very outward faith.
It seems that people have used him and his image to project their hatred towards organized religion, whether it be their perceived phoniness of believers or anger towards churches. He has been accused of arrogance…but how much of that is confidence – overhyped by the media? Then there is what has been called "tebowing" his distinctive one knee prayer stance he does after a touchdown or a victory. Imitated and mocked, he is accused of believing that God has been helping the Broncos to win…but I’ve seen no quotes to confirm this.
Of course people have a problem believing that God would support a particular football team – that God would care who wins. It raises some interesting questions… does God really care or make things happen in our lives so that we have our own “victories?” If things go smoothly in my day I do tend to thank God, because I don’t see any reason to take credit -- they just go smoothly. The problem with this is that when things go badly I should blame God for also actively the strings that gave me problems, which is of course silly and self-centered.
Other football players have been outspoken about their faith…like Reggie White, and Kurt Warner. Some, upon retirement, have even become pastors of their churches. Many are charitable. But few have taken such hostility, perhaps because few have been so outspoken as Tebow, who wrote a book, Through My Eyes.
What does this have to say to us about our own witness? It shows again that it is dangerous to be a Christian willing to talk about our faith. Tim Tebow’s “crucifixion” discourages other Christians in being public with their beliefs. It’s like people have made it clear that if we are vocal about our faith that we will get slammed. Yet what I think people really resent is hypocrisy and self-righteousness. I see neither of these qualities in Tebow.
Most of us will never be famous like Tim Tebow or under that media scrutiny. But we are concerned about how we show our faith to the world. It brings to mind two encouragements from the sermon on the mount…the first, where Jesus says that we are to be “salt of the earth,” “light for the world.(Matthew 5:13-16)” To be bold in faith, and definitely leave our mark in affecting change in the world..
The second encouragement is found in Jesus’ comment on public prayer. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6: 5,6)” (This also brings to mind the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14) In other words, don’t make of your faith a show, or use it to impress others.
On the surface these two admonitions might seem mutually exclusive. Are we to be public or private in regards to expressing our faith? Which of these applies to Tebow? Which one to our own situations? I think it’s a matter of integrity. To not hide what is real and important in our lives…even if we open ourselves to others scorn. But also to not manipulate the faith for our own glory or pride.
There are many very public Christians I find to
be offensive, who aren’t good representatives of
the faith. I don’t see Tim Tebow as being one of
those. But he is in the spotlight, and maybe we
are, too. Maybe to be a Christian, a regular
churchgoer in this time means we stand out. It’s
easy to be caricatured. It’s easy to have our lives
minimized by people’s prejudices. Our challenge
is to be authentic people, and to be able to
articulate why it is we have chosen to be part of
this faith community. That’s our witness, and we
do it together.
In Christ’s name; Pastor Rich
Sundays after the Epiphany: Green is used for its symbolism of our growth in Christ. Green, in a sense, is a "neutral color," used when more festive or more somber color is not appointed.
Ash Wednesday: Black is the preferred color, since it is the color of the ashes to which we will all return. Purple is the alternate color for this first day of Lent.
Lent: Purple is indicated, as the stark color of repentance and solemnity
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