Let me state this for the record: I don’t follow football; ice hockey is my game. So, I won’t embarrass myself by talking about the sport here. Oh, I watch football but I am usually napping on the couch by half-time. Here in Broncos Country that’s practically a felony!
This season I can’t help but take notice that the Denver Broncos has signed rookie quarterback and devout Christian, Tim Tebow. Tebow made headlines on the field as a Heisman trophy-winning quarterback of the Florida Gators. He has made no secret of his Christian beliefs and family values, even going as far as to sport “Phil 4:13” (among other verses) written in his eye makeup during games. You may remember that Tebow and his mother got people talking again when they made an anti-abortion commercial (paid for by Focus on the Family) that aired during the Super Bowl earlier this year.
Broncos Training Camp started this week at Dove Valley. When training camp opens in Denver, it’s Broncos-mania and there is a lot of hype over Tebow. It’s interesting to watch the fans reaction to him regarding his faith. Because he has been so public about his faith in God, this has made him a target in many ways. Some love him for that fact alone. (I know I will try harder to stay awake for the games this season.) Others down-right hate him for that reason. (It’s Tebow’s eagerness to share his Christian values and beliefs that really irks her. “That’s why I hate him,” she said. Quoted from The Denver Post. Read the article here.) Those people want him to keep his faith out of football. They must prefer the go-to-church-on-Sunday-but-don’t-talk-about-it kind of Christian vs. the scream-it-from-the-rooftops kind.
Here’s my question: Why is there such a backlash against Tim Tebow for his Christian values?
Aren’t we a nation that was founded on religious freedoms…“In God We Trust”. After all, that phrase is printed on our money. And we Americans do love our money!
Could it be people are threatened by Tebow and his vocal love of God? Tebow isn’t going around telling you how to live your life…he’s telling you how he lives his life. Do people see in him how they have failed in their own relationship with God? And, why can’t God show up on the field on Sunday? It’s His day.
Or, it is that Broncos fans really do want it to be about football, Gatorade endorsements and Nike promos? Could it be Broncos fans really don’t care what kind of person the player is off the field as long as he performs on it? I pray not.
I pray Broncos fans see more this season than a QB on the field. I pray Christians don’t put Tebow on a pedestal because pedestals are a dangerous place for people to be. I pray everyone sees a person not just a football player who is doing the best that he can in this life he has been given. I pray Tebow stays strong in his beliefs despite the pressure he is going to find here in Denver. And I pray he stays strong on the field. Amen.
You can read more about Tim Tebow here, here or here. I also hear there are another promising players at Dove Valley, too.
Have Faith Everyday 