February 23, 2012
The Really Unusual Thing About Tim Tebow
It would be quite a stretch to suggest that God is a Denver Broncos fan, but it’s not far-fetched to imagine that He takes pleasure in Tim Tebow. God honors those who honor him, which Tebow does unabashedly. Perhaps He repays that honor by answering Tebow’s gridiron prayers, and perhaps He doesn’t. I would guess that God has higher concerns than the outcome of sporting events. Despite his highly competitive nature, the same can be said of Tebow.
Tebow is certainly not the only athlete to display his faith in public. It’s not strange to see baseball players cross themselves in the batter’s box, or point heavenward after a home run clears the fences. But the difference with Tebow is that his faith is clearly in the center of his life. In college, he spent his summers doing missionary work. A bachelor in a profession that isn’t noted for sexual continence, he was happy to acknowledge his plan to stay celibate until marriage. He and his mom did a subtle but effective prolife ad that aired during the Superbowl. The mission of Tebow’s foundation is “Bringing faith hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.”
On game day, Tebow’s faith is less apparent than his athletic ability, but it’s there if you look for it, which people do. In college, he turned his eyeblack into a mini-billboard for Bible verses, which prompted 93 million Google searches for “John 3:16” in one day. He gives thanks to God (and his teammates) in post-game interviews. Most notably, he sometimes takes a knee on the sidelines to pray, a posture of genuflection now more commonly known as “Tebowing.”
 |
|
The eyeblack that inspired 93 million Google hits. |
While none of this comes close to cramming his faith down the throats of others, it still sticks in the craw of those who don’t like seeing religious beliefs expressed in public. In deference to those who hold this view, Tebow is now routinely described as “polarizing.” And while Christians may find this epithet irritating, it’s accurate.
In fact, it is an outcome foretold by Jesus, the ultimate polarizing figure. “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51) It’s not that He seeks division, but He knows that it’s bound to arise when the truths of God and the ways of the world collide with each other.
So it’s not surprising that Tebow has taken flak for bringing Christ into a place many people don’t believe He belongs. That sentiment was recently captured in a recent Saturday Night Live sketch, in which Jesus appears in the Denver locker room to urge Tebow to “tone it down.” That sort of mockery doesn’t seem to bother Tebow much, nor does it rank very high on the list of sacrifices Christians are called to endure.
What is surprising, and disappointing, is that Tebow’s heartfelt witness makes him unusual. After all, aren’t Catholics and other Christians called to be evangelists? In a country where weekly church-going Christians account for nearly half of the population, you would think a Tim Tebow wouldn’t stand out enough to excite many comments.
And yet he does, which raises the question, Why? One could probably cite a hundred different reasons, but here are three.
First, many Christians regard themselves as ill-equipped or unworthy to evangelize. They may think they are poor examples of Christianity (aren’t we all?), or feel unprepared to answer the types of questions they may get if they talk about faith. If the latter is a problem for you, you may want to check out the God Wiki and Christ Wiki sponsored by the Magis Center for Reason and Faith, another of Fr. Robert Spitzer’s institutes.
Second, many Christians accept the idea that faith should be a purely private matter: It’s great to have but bad to display too openly because people may find it divisive. Besides, when it comes to evangelizing, Christian actions always trump Christian words.
The Green Bay Packers’ quarterback, Aaron Rogers, raised this point when asked about Tebow. Rogers said he preferred to “follow a quote from St. Francis of Assisi, who said, ‘Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.’” But St. Francis was hardly shy when it came to preaching. In the Crusades, he went behind Saracen lines to try to convert the sultan, and I’m sure he mentioned Jesus once or twice in the course of his visit. The point is that Christians don’t have to choose between acts and words of faith. You can proclaim the gospel and live it. We’re called to do both.
The third point goes back to Fr. Spitzer’s Four Levels of Happiness®. We live in a society that is extremely Level 2 – one where happiness is defined as having more status, power, success, and possessions than others. As Christians, we may sincerely seek the higher forms of happiness, which come from making a difference to others (Level 3) and loving God (Level 4). All too often, though, we fall back to Level 2, the world’s default setting. And at Level 2, it’s all about me, not Him. We’ll talk about Him when it’s safe or rewarding to do so, but we’ll be more discrete at times when proclaiming Christ may threaten our status.
Despite all his Level 2 success, Tim Tebow seems to be a Level 4 guy. (I say “seems” because you can’t know someone’s heart from a distance, but it’s best to trust people until they give you reason to do otherwise.) Tebow truly appears to know that the love of God is the greatest reward and source of happiness. And just as a guy in love likes nothing more than to please his beloved, Tebow seems to enjoy pleasing God even more than he likes scoring touchdowns.
It’s too early to tell how much success Tim Tebow will have on the field in his football career. He could become a legend, a washout, or something in between. But the fact that he’s using all the success he achieves for a higher purpose makes him one of the rare sports celebrities we can emulate.
– John Keenan, Editor
Return to the Home
Last changed: Dec 21 2011 at 10:10 AM