Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the....Tim Tebow?

I had to write it, after weeks of insane media coverage, my twitter and facebook time lines being over flooded with it, and even Saturday Night Live taking their jabs, if I'm going to try, and with the lack of post lately try is the key word here, to write a blog that deals with Christianity and pop culture, there is no way I could avoid the phenomenon that is Tim Tebow.  Of course I wanted to wait until he finally took a lose, because if the Broncos ran the table and won a Super Bowl, you might have to chalk it up to divine intervention.

It's more than the fact that Tebow is a Christian and more than the fact that he has no problem publicly expressing his faith, but for what ever reason at least for this time and season, he seems to be the most polarizing man in American sports.  With opinions varying from a mediocre quarterback who's gotten lucky to a man who wins games because he has favor with God, Tebow has ran the garment.  I've seen girls post status updates lusting over him and talking about what they would do to him, sorry ladies but if Tim lives the life he professes that is not going to work on him.  I've also seen him being blasted for being a white running QB.  That who race issue on how a guy plays I've never understood.  Why is the black guy called athletic, and the white guy called a hard worker?  When these guys play on this level most every time they are both hard working and athletic.  Post are simply opinions, so I don't let them get to me one way or another, but the attacks on Tebow's faith and those who say all the credit for his success should be attributed to his faith have just left be annoyed.

First off the whole "Tebowing" thing is ridiculous.  I don't  mean the pose, I mean the name.  For the uninitiated that thing his doing when he takes a knee and bows his head is called praying, and he's not the first to do it.  While some of my fellow Christians attribute these prayers to what was the Broncos winning streak, I'm going to disagree.  I thinks it's obvious God blessed Tim Tebow with talent, I belive the Lord has let Tebow keep focus under pressure, which would be cause for his fourth quarter heroics, and I even believe God has let Tebow play up to the fullness of his abilities, but I don't think he's handing him wins.  If a blocker misses an assignment Tebow his going to get laid out like Debo in the "Friday" movie, prayer isn't a magic trick.  The Bible instructs us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23).  If Tim Tebow is the Christians he claims to be, then this is how he goes about his work.  He trains, studies film and practices as if he was doing so for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Does this mean he is working harder than the next guy?  Possibly, money is the motivator of many, but when the Lord is the one you are working for, you find ways to work harder than you knew you were capable of.  Hard work in sporta almost always pays off.

The other thing that kills me is the whole Bronco's winning/losing has to do with Tebow having favor with God.  If that was the case I know alot of people who are struggling who wouldn't be, and many who are living the high life who wouldn't.  Again I go to the Bible where it says, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45).  That's a verse I've never understood, and I guess I'm not supposed to.  For the purpose of this blog though I'm saying because the Patriots beat the Broncos tonight it doesn't mean God loves Tom Brady more than Tim Tebow.  It just means Tom Brady is a better quarterback, that actually pained me to type, but it's true.

The last thing that concerns me is the way some Christians are talking about Tebow like he is some kind of deity.  I think some of it stems from the negative media attention the man has received.  However we have to be careful not to overcompensate.  I think it's great that a man who is as bold with his faith as Tim Tebow is having a successful year, but at the end of the day I'd still rather have Cam Newton as my starter.  That's not a knock on Tebow, I'm just saying that sports is not always about religion.  We have to be careful not to set him on too high of a pedestal.  Any man can fall, no one is perfect.  In the rush to defend Tebow I hope we aren't giving our young people the wrong impression that he can do no wrong, because if he ever slips, and I pray he doesn't, that could have many who have jumped on the Tebow express stumbling with their own walk with Christ.

The blog probably isn't my most informative and mostly rants, but it's good that Jesus is being talked about in the media.  Whether they are representing him wrong or not the name is out there, and it's our job as Christians to use that opportunity that Jim Rome, Dan Patrick and all the other talking heads at ESPN have given to start a dialogue with our unsaved friends.  Even if they wouldn't usually talk Jesus, most any American will talk football.