God’s quarterback
I can honestly say that for as long as I have been a sports fan I have never witnessed a mediocre athlete dominate in conversation and receive as much attention as Tim Tebow has recieved since entering the National Football League in 2010. While many are convinced Tebow will be a drastic failure, many others believe he is the football messiah. Despite the wide range of opinions on the young man it is impossible to deny his mainstream appeal.
Photo credit: Braden Jones
It is sometimes difficult to understand how a player who struggles to perform at some of the basic tasks his profession demands can excel in the social sphere. If one were look at his amazing college career, they would be thoroughly impressed. Tebow won two National Championships at the University of Florida and became the first player to win the Heisman trophy as a sophomore all while becoming one of the most successful college quarterbacks of all time. However, Tebow’s legendary college streak is only a small part of the equation; more importantly, Tebow has found famous through his faith.
Tebow was born in the Philippines as a missionary kid. He used to write Bible verses under his eyes before games (something the NCAAbanned within days of Tebow’s graduation at Florida), he gives pre-game speeches not by cussing and screaming but by quoting scripture.Perhaps more famously known for kneeling down and praying in the end zone before every game, something that has turned into an internet meme craze called “Tebowing” (similar to “planking”) where people take photos posing in Tebow’s prayer stance at various locations.
Through his public displays of faith, Tebow has become a Christian celebrity akin to someone like Billy Graham. He has become a pro-life spokesperson for Focus on the Family and has been invited to speak at churches and various conferences. So if Tebow is God’s quarterback, why is his preformance on the field so dreadful to watch?
The answer is simple: God loves the athletes who play sports, not sports themselves. Sports are a fun and potentially fulfilling profession and hold much meaning in certain social and cultural contexts. However, in God’s grand scheme of the human existence, sports are trivial. I realized this as I helplessly watched my beloved Oregon Ducks lose the National Championship game to Auburn back in January. I prayed for Oregon to win, I prayed for Wes Byrum to miss the game winning Field Goal for Auburn but my prayers went unanswered. This is because there were Auburn fans praying for God to supply an Auburn victory at the exact same time. That’s the beautiful thing about sports; someone has to win and someone else has to lose.
Tim Tebow may pray for a touchdown pass but there is a defensive end on the other side praying for an opportunity to ram his shoulder into Tebow’s spleen. God cannot satisfy the desires of both parties in that situation. That is why Tebow’s record-setting pace of turnovers doesn’t disprove God’s existence, just like how Tebow’s comeback from a 15 point deficit to the Dolphins three weeks ago doesn’t prove God is real. God could care less about the success of the Denver Broncos or Tim Tebow’s passing statistics. God is pleased with Tim Tebow for using his social status to evangelize and win souls for Christ, not his ability to convert on 3rd and 10.
Cameron Stuerle
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