Tim Tebow's first season in the National Football League came to a humiliating, but not unexpected, end last weekend when his Denver Broncos fell to the New England Patriots in a 45-10 defeat, during which the quarterback got sacked five times. With no fourth-quarter comeback to marvel at and no new sideline displays of zeal to analyze, the media frenzy fueling Tebow-mania ebbed this week, giving the young player's fans and detractors a chance to inspect his influence on the faith he so publicly holds dear.
Tebow has been mocked, criticized, scrutinized and praised for his constant professions of devotion to Jesus and his kneeling supplication during games. But other than offering encouragement to other Christian athletes, some say Tebow has had little lasting influence on young believers..
"In the final analysis, it seems Tebow might help himself and the kingdom by getting off of his knees, taking the verses off of his face, and being faithful to Christ without the public acts like all the other Christians in the NFL have done for decades," Bradley concluded. Despite his criticism of Tebow's public displays of faith, Bradley acknowledges the quarterback is a good role model. "He has a commitment to Christ, a commitment to excellence, and he is exemplary as a man." And it's Tebow's character, both on and off the field, that has left a lasting impression on other athletes, said Jarrod Lynn, campus director of Athletes In Action at Brown University.
Tebow has proved that there is a reason to play sports beyond "just winning," said Lynn, who discusses the quarterback often with Brown athletes who identify as Christians. Because of Tebow's example, students ask themselves how they can live out their faith more publicly”. Tebow's actions have energized other Christian athletes, who have a healthy respect for how he's living out his faith, Lynn said.
"It doesn't mean that if you're a Christian, you have to do it like Tebow does it," Lynn said. "But at the same time we have nothing to be ashamed of."
(Thanks to Kara Bettis for this article. She is a reporter for WORLD News Service)
Pastor Richard and Merleen Strum
0 comments:
Post a Comment