I am not American, not an NFL fan and my understanding of the game is basic at best but Tim Tebow has been featuring so prominently in the things I read from the New York Times to The Gospel Coalition that it is hard not to take notice. I guess in some ways this is also a testament to the impact he has made it polarizing American thoughts.
By all accounts, Tebow is a man who would stop at nothing in using his NFL victories to speak about the gospel - and that it is really an admirable trait. But this has also not gone down well with everyone. That sort of response however is not the slightest bit surprising. There is indeed a Christophobic culture emerging in our world today. It is a subset however of the more general atheistic thought that is gaining more and more traction with the emergence of Dawkins and Hitchens.
Countless articles however have been written to point out the irony of the backlash that Tebow is facing. Some worth sharing are below:
Link 1
Link 2
What does the Bible say about all of this?
Such slander and accusations are indeed to be expected (2 Tim 3:1-9). Anyone who claims to follow Christ will indeed take up the cross that comes with doing so. Your intentions will be suspicious, and you will be falsely accused of "spreading agendas" or be part of a larger conspiracy theory and all sorts. Many will tell you to keep your faith private which is in stark contrast to what Christ says about spreading the gospel and making disciples of all nations.
Above all however, the call to love your enemies stands out starkly as ever. Just as Christ prayed for the Lord to have mercy on them (Luke 23:34), so we should not respond fury for fury and slander for slander.
By all accounts, Tebow is a man who would stop at nothing in using his NFL victories to speak about the gospel - and that it is really an admirable trait. But this has also not gone down well with everyone. That sort of response however is not the slightest bit surprising. There is indeed a Christophobic culture emerging in our world today. It is a subset however of the more general atheistic thought that is gaining more and more traction with the emergence of Dawkins and Hitchens.
Countless articles however have been written to point out the irony of the backlash that Tebow is facing. Some worth sharing are below:
Link 1
Link 2
What does the Bible say about all of this?
Such slander and accusations are indeed to be expected (2 Tim 3:1-9). Anyone who claims to follow Christ will indeed take up the cross that comes with doing so. Your intentions will be suspicious, and you will be falsely accused of "spreading agendas" or be part of a larger conspiracy theory and all sorts. Many will tell you to keep your faith private which is in stark contrast to what Christ says about spreading the gospel and making disciples of all nations.
Above all however, the call to love your enemies stands out starkly as ever. Just as Christ prayed for the Lord to have mercy on them (Luke 23:34), so we should not respond fury for fury and slander for slander.
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