If you have ever talked to me for more than 5 minutes, you probably know that I’m a diehard Baltimore Raven’s fan. I hail from the land where they bleed purple and black and unless you are from Baltimore, you may not understand…even my wife Amanda doesn’t (she’s from Delaware). However, if you were to ask me who my favorite football player is, right now I’d have to say Tim Tebow. Now before you throw up, let me explain. I’m not one of those people who thinks that God is causing Tim Tebow to continue to win and I don’t pray that Tim will win so that the gospel can be spread. When it comes to Tim Tebow, he doesn’t have to win for that to happen...he just has to be himself. There have been many athletes to bow their knee in the end zone and point to the sky (e.g. Reggie White, Mike Singletary; Deion Sanders, Kurt Warner, etc...) but never has a player been so defined by their faith as Tim Tebow. From the days of writing scripture verses on his eye black at Florida to the iconic bowing to pray after practically every action (now known as Tebowing).
Let's face it Tim Tebow doesn’t need football because he has defined himself not as a football player but as a follower of Jesus Christ. And Tebow will follow Jesus wherever that might lead. In fact, I suspect Tebow will be out of the league and in the mission field in the next few years, but what he’s doing with the time he has, is simply remarkable. He’s a role model for all of us showing up that we can wear our faith on our sleeves and not be fake. Of all the criticism that Tim Tebow gets (and he gets a lot), you never hear people questioning his character. He’s genuine and caring and loving to everyone regardless of whether they agree with him or not. There’s a reason people compare him to the second coming of Christ...he acts and looks an awful lot like Jesus. But isn’t that exactly what Christians are supposed to do; look and act like Jesus?
Nevertheless, Tebow is a polarizing figure in which he is both loved and hated. Some people wish he'd stop talking about Jesus and just play football. Others think he's a joke of a quarterback. Others still have naively elevated him to a superhuman status in which he is on a level with Jesus Himself. I personally feel that this is nothing different that idolatry. However you feel about Tim Tebow, one thing is certain, there is something about him that demands a response. He is different. As a youth pastor, I couldn’t be more happy to see a young man of God in the spotlight who is proud that he’s a virgin saving himself for marriage; who thanks God even for the little things; and in spite of his weaknesses and shortcomings, he’s proving that with hard work, you don’t have to be the best to win.
In a world where the media inundates of with pictures of Christians who stumble in sin, who are greedy for more money, who are judgmental and filled more with hate for those who don’t think like them, and even worse, Priests who abuse little children; isn’t it refreshing that we finally have a Christian in the spotlight for which we can say, “that’s what it means to be a Christian”? I pray for TimTebow, not that he’ll continue to win, but that he’ll continue to live his life to the glory of God so that my students will be able to see an athlete in the spotlight who loves and serves God with his whole life.
