Jesus and Tim Tebow’s Narrow Religion
As a sports fan I love football season. I enjoy watching good games with my wife who sometimes will even watch more than I do. It is a great time of year! Even if you do not watch much football you may of hear of the name Tim Tebow. Tebow is the quarterback for the Florida Gators football team. His team has won the national championship twice and Tebow has also won the Heisman trophy for his performance at quarterback. Tebow is a fiery competitor and a natural born leader. What troubles some is that Tebow is an outspoken professing born again believer in Jesus Christ. He takes mission trips in the summer with his father Bob Tebow to the Philippines. The problem many see with Tebow is that he brings his faith onto the football field, often painting a scripture reference under his eyes in eye paint.
This past week Tom Krattenmaker wrote an editorial article for the USA Today entitled, “And I’d Like to Thank God.” In the article Krattenmaker asserts that Tebow’s religion is to narrow, very judgmental and no longer fits in a pluralistic society. Krattenmaker writes that Tebow’s religion is to narrow, “But Jesus’ representatives in sports aren’t just practicing faith. They are also leveraging sports’ popularity to promote a message and doctrine that are out of sync with the diverse communities that support franchises, and with the unifying civic role that we expect of our teams. Typifying the exclusive creed taught by many sports-world Christians is the belief statement published by Baseball Chapel, which provides chaplains for all major- and minor-league baseball teams. Non-believers in Jesus, the ministry declares, can look forward to “everlasting punishment separated from God.” Krattenmaker goes on to point out that this view of Jesus is no longer welcome in a culture that is more open minded.
He goes on to state that Tebow’s kind of religion does not match up with the view of the culture. “It’s not just non-Christians who might have a thing or two to say about this exclusive theology. According to a December 2008 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life, 65% of American Christians believe that many religions can lead to eternal life. Our pluralism is a defining and positive reality of American life — but not one that is much valued by those who define the faith coursing through the veins of sports culture.” In short Krattenmaker states that Jesus is not the only way to salvation and those who believe this view are to narrow minded.
There was one part of the article that I believe Krattenmaker did get right, he states, “Evangelical players and ministry representatives in sports aren’t out to harm anyone, of course. On the contrary, they see themselves as fulfilling the Bible’s Great Commission (“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19). In this sense, their mission is to seek to share the gift of eternal life.” I am glad that Krattenmaker pointed this out in his article because this actually takes away from other points he makes slamming the dangers and the harm of being to narrow minded in believing Jesus is the only way to salvation.
I am glad that Tim Tebow is an outspoken Christian, I am glad there are chaplains, players and coaches in sports that seek to share Jesus. The point we need to learn from this article is simple, whether you are a business person, athlete, teacher, homemaker or a pastor we are to penetrate the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will others call us narrow minded? Will others say we are being unfair by saying Jesus is the only way to heaven? Will others criticize our work? I hope so because that will show that we are sharing Jesus, just the way Jesus did. For many called Jesus all these words because it is Christ who states, “I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Have a great week and share Jesus with people around you, whether that is by the water cooler or on the football field.