I love it when the Broncos win… I’m a fan.
I have cheered for Tebow over his entire career in college and now the pros too… I’m a fan.
Now, it’s one and the same.
…but sometimes with “Tebow-ology” and the Evangelical crazein full force - I admit there is a small part of me that is ok when we lose now.
For no other reason than limiting the Facebook, blogs, websites and sermons from filling up with comments on how “God’s hand is certainly upon Tebow and the Broncos… because we won a Football game (that we shouldn’t have won)”; or likening him to Biblical characters such as “Gideon or King David”; or coming up with a Divinci Code like stats matrix with the whole “Tebow 3:16” - to show God is working.
I’m afraid we might be going beyond admiring a good football player, a good person, a man of faith - and turned it into “Christian Hero” worship.
So this begins what has been my journey into the insanity of “Tebow-mania”, just this week… but has been brewing in my mind for awhile.
I start with this picture I first ran across on a blog, and then it came up again a few times on Facebook before the Broncos vs. Patriots game. Most of the commentary on it was vilifying Brady for holding the Super Bowl Trophy, while praising Tebow for praying and not getting caught up in all that worldly Super Bowl Trophy stuff.
Tebow… good. Brady… evil.
So, was it wrong for two other strong Christians (Manning and Brees) to be holding the Trophy when their team won the Super Bowl? Isn’t that the goal of actually playing Football?
Speaking of Manning and Brees, and wanting to throw Kurt Warner in here too… If God is supposed to, or does help the strong, faithful Christians in the league (no, only Tebow you say… my bad) - why have these 3 guys only won one Super Bowl a piece?Warner lost 2 of them, Peyton lost 1 and Brees has only been there 1 time. Yet Brady has won 3 already. Remember Brady, the evil one.
If God gets involved in football games, I truly am curious why he didn’t help them win more - or win the Ultimate prize which would give them the biggest platform to use to talk about Jesus? Or which faithful follower He helps win since there are usually some on both teams in any given game??
And who could forget last week’s “Tebow 3:16” stuff. I saw all the “Is it a coincidence stuff”… who knows? God can use whatever he wants.
I’m all for people being exposed to the Bible, and if some of the stories are true - maybe God did use it. But I’m not sure what I think of using a Tebow 3:16 moniker, isn’t he still just a human being? And what if people looked up other 3:16 verses in the Bible outside of John 3:!6, would it change the impact?
Then we have the “Tebowing” craze. Or the WWTTD bracelets. Or the Broncos Jerseys worn by fans with the “number 15” and “Jesus” as the name. Or I found a picture of Tebows face replacing Jesus’ in a famous picture of Jesus. Yikes…
Are people actually praying while they are “Tebowing” (I’ve heard it does make some think a little more of prayer, for that, it’s a good thing)? I’m curious too if people really think “What would Jesus do” while wearing “What would Tim Tebow do?”
It’s so crazy seeing “Praying real hard right now for Tim and the Broncos…” on Facebook in the middle of a Bronco game… Or seeing entire passages on Facebook statuses to “claim” a Tebow/Broncos win.
But before I am too harsh on others for praying for a game, I’d be a hypocrite not to say that over my life time - I can’t imagine the amount of hours that have stacked up on praying for wins in my teams sporting events.
But that’s the point, believers - playing and praying on both sides… how does God choose?
I strongly believe in prayer, but can it not go beyond a football game? That’s what we as believers are “praying so hard for”?
(This may be a harsh photo and I’m not sure it’s really fair to God or Tebow, but it didn’t take long to find this kind of sentiment - not so much against Tebow, as the “Christian craze for him” and the hypocrisy it seems to incorporate in terms of praying for a football game, yet ignoring real world issues.)
And now we have a Massachusetts Wiccan Sect coming out to ask the sprits to help the entire New England Patriots team defeat Tim Tebow and the Broncos. What!?? Are you serious? Football is now a world wide spiritual battle field in terms of the winning team… is the spiritual winner!? OHHH-K.
(btw, now that the Patriots killed the Broncos tonight, would it be consistant to give credit to whatever spirits the Witches conjured up to defeat Tebow, the Broncos and mighty God? Not trying to be flippant here, just wondering if we’ve thought through what it means if the Broncos lose, after claiming God’s favor for wins?)
This is a lot to put on a kid… a football player… a flawed human being.
No doubt I think he’s handled it well, and I think the platform he’s been given is awesome.
But, I’m concerned that the Christian community has put him on a pedestal he doesn’t belong on (maybe without realizing it).
And if/when he falls off the pedestal, or starts sucking in a few more games, or shows a flaw somewhere - I hope we don’t do what we often do to our own… Throw them under the bus, or forget them all together.
And all the critics who are quiet now during some of his success and heightened fame, will laugh and say I told you so.
HOWEVER…
…and cool enough, that won’t be the end of the story for Tebow. As Rick Reilly’s article on ESPN this week points out, Tebow is so much more than football. His calling goes far beyond football.
How he lives his life I believe is an example, he does a lot of great things for others. He lives his faith publicly, yet authentically. Definitely to the delight of some, and discomfort of others. He loves Jesus.
I want to be careful not to worship him or his celebrity status.
But I do admire him.
I’m thrilled to have his Jersey.
Happy to cheer for a good guy.
Rooting and hoping for a long, prosperous career with the Denver Broncos.
Go Broncos.
I’ll always cheer for my team.
Go Tebow.
Whether here or somewhere else, I will also be a fan of yours too.
Win a Super Bowl… or two… or three…
But most of all -
Jesus, help Tim be faithful no matter what happens in a silly game called American Football. Also, help all your followers to be faithful, no matter what happens to Tebow, or in a Football game either.
