Tim Tebow giving God the glory
Here’s the thing. If God wanted to get the attention of as many Americans as possible right now, how would he do it?
Would he start small by appearing to a few people and asking them to spread the word that he’s back? That worked pretty well last time around, except it took a few centuries to really take hold and quite a few people got martyred as a result.
With the internet, the word could spread immediately with posts on Facebook. What are you doing? “OMG I saw Jesus today and he said to tell you all he’s back and wants everyone to meet next Saturday night at Mile High Stadium to prepare for the rapture. Please post this on your wall and ask everyone you know to do the same.”
But the shelf life of a Facebook post is kind of short. Twitter might be able to drum up a pretty good crowd for Jesus in Denver with a flash mob shout-out from Ellen Degeneres. IF she offered a couple grand in cash to the person who could point out Jesus in the crowd.
How is Jesus going to get our attention? How will we KNOW its really him? I mean, there are so many distractions right now –is it really a good time for Jesus to return?
We’re trying to pick another president for crying out loud! The Republican Primary is in full swing and has become a platform for discussions of morality and pondering the question of whether certain religions are “true” Christian religions, and, whether, if you commit adultery but are very, very sorry about it, that’s good enough to qualify you as the favorite candidate of true believers.
This is all probably Satan’s doing, of course. Satan operates not unlike Rupert Murdoch in putting out disinformation that is tantalizing enough to keep us distracted from the truth. We can’t handle the truth. It’s just not that interesting. The primaries are only interesting because they are like a reality show. On this show, we watch the players scheme to eliminate the other candidates before we get the chance to vote them off the ballot. Maybe if we got to text our votes in November, more people would play along at home?
What of those who are not paying attention to politics? They are likely distracted from the news that “Jesus is back in the building” because they have no jobs and fear they will soon be homeless. Or they are living in fear that their kids will put them out to die on a rapidly melting iceberg (curse you, global warming!) because they can’t afford a proper nursing home. Actually, that last one might not be so bad — from what I’ve seen, the iceberg might be preferable to the nursing home.
But I digress.
Ok, we have a lot going on in our lives, and we’re pretty focused on day-to-day survival. But we still have the one simple distraction from our misery that is open to all economic groups, races, cultures, ages, and genders. And that is sports. Sports fandom to be exact. It gives us hope when there often is none. Where I live, it’s one particular sport: Football.
Enter Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos v. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Who wouldda thunk it?” said one of the commentators after the six-time Superbowl Champion Steelers lost in overtime because of a Tim Tebow pass that was taken all the way to the end zone. Improbable. But it happened. Incredible. Tim Tebow is either the luckiest stiff in the NFL or he truly has God on his side.
Our guys pray too. They go to church. They talk about their personal relationships with Jesus Christ too. But Tebow! He’s OUT there. Like it or not, he has created world-wide buzz about his commitment to Jesus Christ not just because he talks about it, and not just because he takes a knee on the gridiron, but because the man just keeps coming through when he has to.
The Broncos could have won that game in overtime by moving the ball steadily down the field yard by yard and then kicking for the 3 points. But no. The so-called “inconsistent” passer puts it right in the hands of the receiver and the Steelers’ diminished defensive line is powerless to stop him. Season over. Just like that.
The only reason I can find for Tim Tebow’s success is that he actually IS Jesus Christ incarnate. He’s just enough human to fumble a few now and then and he’s just enough God to deliver when it really counts. His witness on the field and off is unapologetically directed at drawing attention to God.
If you want to get the American public’s attention, you have to go where they are. And where they are on Sunday is at the football game — in the stands or in front of the TV. Tim Tebow is news, and because of last week’s game even MORE people know about him and are talking about his faith and wondering — is God really answering his prayers? Will he answer mine too?
So there you have it. There is no other explanation. Tim Tebow is the Messiah.
See you all in Denver for the rapture! Dress warm — you won’t need to pack for this trip. It’s one way.
Weebeebloggin' 