My Faith Looks Up to Thee

Tim Tebow's public display of faith is welcome: Regina Brett

Published: Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 5:00 AM

By Regina Brett, The Plain Dealer

Julie Jacobson, APDenver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow prays in the end zone before the start of the Broncos' game against the Chicago Bears in December.

Can there really be such a thing as too much prayer? 

Not in my world; never can there be any such thing as too much prayer!

Not to Tim Tebow. 

The Denver Broncos quarterback drops to his knee to pray after every touchdown in front of millions of viewers. 

He wasn't the only one praying after his team beat the Steelers 29-23 in overtime on Sunday. After Tebow threw a pass that turned into the winning touchdown, a lot of Browns fans were yelling, "Hallelujah!" and praising the Lord, too. 

Tebow threw for 316 yards and averaged 31.6 yards per completion. 

Cue the "Twilight Zone" music. 

Or the Hallelujah chorus. 

John 3:16 is Tebow's favorite Bible verse. Tebow is a Christian who doesn't just wear his faith on his sleeve; he wears it on his face. He has worn that biblical citation in white lettering on black strips under his eyes. 

I prefer Michah 6:8

Millions of viewers saw and Googled it to read the verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." 

This guy is spreading the Gospel faster than the apostles did. (He does have the advantage of the internet and social media, and, it's not exactly as if the word has not been spread by others that have come before!) Twitter reported there were more tweets per second -- 9,420 --- after Tebow's overtime touchdown pass than any other event, including the royal wedding, Osama bin Laden's death and, the biggest tweeting event of all, Beyonce's pregnancy announcement. 

Here's a sampling of the Tebow tweets: 

The state of Colorado just converted its time zone from Mountain Time to Tebow Time.

I probably shouldn't admit this but I have no idea who this tebow dude is. Until a few weeks ago, I thought it was a kind of a weapon.

 

Tebow's 316 yards is just God messing w/ NFL fans. Reminds me of when God hid dinosaur bones over the earth just to mess w/ scientists. No, God does NOT intervene in athletic competitions - Tebow did it all by his self; now, just a curious question - who do you think is more likely to defeat you?  Ben Rothlesberger, serial rapist, who does not command much respect from his teammates who all know he is at best a pig, who has never paid anything more than money for his criminal sexual crimes, or a man who professes his faith in the Lord, and shows his faith in all that he does, by dint of his ability on the football field to raise up the Creator of all the Universes?  Which of these two men is better qualified to lead? The question, when posed in this fashion, answers itself, of course!

 

Just saw Tim Tebow's face in my egg mcmuffin.

 

Tebow just turned the Gatoraid into wine. 

Some respect the player's public piety, others mock it. 

I would be VERY hesitant to ever mock ANYBODY'S piety!

Tebow, who was raised by evangelical Christians, doesn't believe in the separation of church and sports. We live our life for the Lord; we play for the Lord, to raise up all that He does, and all that He has done for us, and all that He has given us!He bows his head and prays on the bench. He bends his knee and prays on the field. You've heard of Hail Mary passes? For him, every pass is a prayer.(Lord, make me an instrument of your FAITH.)

Critics are offended that he drops the F word. Faith is too much for some. (Which is very interesting, and these folks ought to be interviewed to help us understand their concerns, which I assume are very real, and have valid basis - quite likely, they are horrified by the horrors that have been committed in the name of organized religion over the centuries.)

They even poked fun at him on Saturday Night Live. The SNL skit had Jesus show up in the Broncos locker room, wearing crew socks and sandals. He tells Tebow to do more than pray. Stretch, read the playbook, and don't just thank me, thank your kicker. Sounds like Jesus is giving sound advice - "don't thank me, thank your kicker!" sounds about right.

Jesus says, "Tim, I love you, but just take it down a notch." (Jesus of Nazareth - quite the sense of humor!  Saturday night starts to regain its old 70's form!)

I'd say leave it right where it is, Tim. I agree whole-heartedly!

Football could use more than crotch-grabbing, victory dances, painted faces, chest slamming and #1 foam fingers in our faces.  I agree whole-heartedly! YES, it can use players of FAITH, who are unafraid of expressing it! People of FAITH can use such examples - we ought never be afraid or embarrassed to express our faith; in this, the Muslims have it ALL over us!

Football could use more players who err on the side of morality and humility, instead of infidelity and indiscretions. Indeed!

Football could use more players who are more comfortable promoting God than Nike. Indeed!

Tebow has told reporters that his job is to be a good role model for kids (Contrast this with folks who insist that professional athletes are just that, and are NOT role models! WELL, back in the day when pro athletes were amazingly underpaid, they worked regular jobs in the off season to pay the bills, they were much more accessible, they were much more human, and as such, were easily forgiven for their humanity - they were also quite a bit humbler, and almost to a man, were delighted to be able to be paid to do a thing they loved Very few of us EVER get to work the kind of job that pays us for doing something we love, which, indeed, is a tragic shame!. He even visits orphans in the Philippines in his free time. (The widows and orphans thing that keeps cropping up so inconveniently in the Bible.)That's refreshing. I'm tired of hearing ball players from every sport claim it's not their job to be a role model to anyone. 

But I do wonder, what exactly is Tebow praying for? A victory? A safe game? To glorify God regardless of the final score? 

What is he teaching us about prayer? That God answers with a win? 

Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, offered this reflection in America magazine: 

"The answer to our prayers is not a touchdown, or a series of passes, or a Super Bowl victory, or a new car, or a raise, or even good health. The answer to our prayers is much deeper than that. And much more lasting. The answer to our prayers is God." 

Join Regina Brett at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on WKSU FM/89.7 for "The Regina Brett Show." This week: Preparing for winter emergencies and beyond. Call during the show at 888-957-8897 or email regina@wksu.org www.reginabrett.com 

To reach Regina Brett: rbrett@plaind.com, 216-999-6328