Tim Tebow

Anytime a public figure proudly expresses his or her Christian beliefs on a national stage, the criticisms will be bound to follow.  Since becoming the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Tim Tebow has been the first to recognize that God is the source of his success.  “Tebowing”--the act of placing one knee down and leaning one’s head on fist to thank God--has entered the American lexicon.  Tebow has received national attention this season for two reasons.  First, his fourth-quarter comebacks and 7-1 record as the starting QB for Denver.  The second reason is his strong religious beliefs.

The fundamental truth is that many individuals want Tebow to fail because he is so open about his Christianity.  I’d be curious to know why his repeated indication of faith is viewed as offensive and provocative.  Is it the same resentment that causes anger and outrage at, for instance, a moment of prayer or silence in the psyche of certain Americans?  

Personally, I find Tebow story to be an inspiring one, not just on the football field.  While pregnant with him, his mother suffered a life-threatening infection.  She immediately went on a variety of drugs to rouse her from her coma and treat her inflamed intestine.  Doctors expected Tim to be a stillbirth and recommended an abortion to save her life, but she ardently refused.  The result of her decision was a courageous young man in more ways than one.  In the first half of a high school football game at Nease High School in Florida, he suffered an injury to his right leg.  Initially, the Nease coaching staff believed Tebow had a bad cramp, so they left him in the game.  At one point, Tebow rushed for a 29 yard touchdown with what was later discovered to be a broken fibula.

You won’t find hypocrisy or arrogance in Tebow’s words or actions.  He will be the first to admit he is not perfect, but there is nothing to suggest his beliefs are less than genuine.  His brief kneel-down after touchdowns appears to be an authentic sign of respect towards God, yet two Riverhead High School football players were suspended for a day because they re-enacted the gesture in the hallway.  The school called this display of faith a potentially dangerous situation.  So why has this thankful gesture become polarizing and irritating?  Beats me.