Exclusivity, Tebow and Culture

Better late than never, I suppose, to weigh in on the Tebow sensation. There has been a lot of talk about Tim Tebow, his faith, his 316 passing yards, and of course, his prayers (Tebowing) this week since the Broncos beat the Steelers in OT on Sunday. There are several observations I would like to make.

First the great irony of it all. Tebow's demonstration of his faith is seen as being inappropriate on the football field. Consider this article at the Salt Lake Tribune as an example of the media calling on Tebow to stop his practice of kneeling in prayer during and after a game. The irony of it all is that we now live in a so-called "inclusive" society and such actions are considered exclusive and inappropriate. Yet such calls are exclusive and not inclusive as they are sidelining not only Tebow but other athletes who may make public displays of faith, i.e. both Polomalu and Rothelisberger made demonstrations of faith during the final tying drive before OT.

Interestingly enough, I have not seen one person IN the media call for the MEDIA to stop filming Tebow praying. Instead, people just want him to stop. If you watched the game, then when it was over you saw Tebow strike his famous pose. If you were paying attention, you also probably saw that several cameramen were kneeling down, focusing on him. You probably also noticed that the producers of the game had that scene be the main shot at the end of the game, rather than show the other players, the stands, etc. Perhaps the media is creating a story; or to put it another way, perhaps the news is making the news.

But, what I really want to draw attention to is how well this sensation reveals our true human nature.

We are more than in love with ourselves, we are drawn to worship of ourselves. We are drawn to "be like God." This has been the human condition ever since the beginning. Tebowing highlights this, and Christians, should stand in solidarity with this light of truth shining in the darkness of our lives.

What is a touch down dance? On the most basic of levels, it is a celebration of an accomplishment. One recent criticism I have seen is the absence of Christians thinking. So let us think about the touchdown dance. The touchdown dance is an individual stealing the show from a team effort. The touchdown dance is an individual desiring attention. The touchdown dance is one person wanting the attention, the adoration, the worship, of the millions of fans watching the game. But again, this is just who we are. As John Calvin said, "scarcely a single person has ever been found who did not fashion for himself an idol or specter in place of God. Surely, just as waters boil up from a vast, full spring, so does an immense crowd of gods flow forth from the human mind..." The touchdown dance is a form of idolatry.

When Tim Tebow bows down in prayer he reminds not just Christians, but the world, that it is not about himself but about God. When any other football player does a touchdown dance, he is telling the world it is about him and not God. Christians need to stand with Tim Tebow and echo his message: it is about God. It is about God, who in Jesus Christ, provides a way for us to escape the worship of the self. It is about God who has the power to transform us from selfish creatures to humans focused on others, their needs, their concerns and most especially, on God.