This story is actually from November of last year, but just came to my attention now, brought on by the recent Brady Quinn/Tim Tebow flap. For those not in the know, GQ Magazine recently ran an oral history of last year’s Denver Broncos season called The Year of Magical Stinking. In it, many of Tebow’s teammates and fellow NFLers offered opinions on the man, his season, and, of course, his expressions of faith. Brady Quinn, another quarterback on the Broncos (and a Christian), is quoted on the subject of Tebow’s public displays of faith, saying:
If you look at it as a whole, there’s a lot of things that just don’t seem very humble to me. When I get that opportunity, I’ll continue to lead not necessarily by trying to get in front of the camera and praying but by praying with my teammates, you know?
In the wake of this becoming a “story,” as anything regarding Tebow must, I was sent (ht DP) a link to this story about Kurt Warner, another famously and openly Christian quarterback, also commenting on Tebow’s expression of his faith. Warner says, among other things, that
You can’t help but cheer for a guy like that….But I’d tell him, ‘Put down the boldness in regards to the words, and keep living the way you’re living. Let your teammates do the talking for you. Let them cheer on your testimony.’…There’s almost a faith cliche, where (athletes) come out and say, ‘I want to thank my Lord and savior.’… As soon as you say that, the guard goes up, the walls go up, and I came to realize you have to be more strategic. The greatest impact you can have on people is never what you say, but how you live. When you speak and represent the person of Jesus Christ in all actions of your life, people are drawn to that. You set the standard with your actions. The words can come after.
This quote puts me in mind of the famous saying attributed to St. Francis: “Preach the Gospel always. When necessary, use words.” Francis, Warner, and Quinn all seem to agree that Tebow ought to let his actions speak for his faith, not his words. Quinn sees the words as an annoyance, Warner sees them as flawed strategy, and Francis sees them as something like putting the cart before the horse. They’re all forgetting one thing, though: If Jesus were accurately described by his followers’ actions, no one would want to have anything to do with him!
Gandhi famously said, “I would be a Christian — if I ever met one.” This quote is commonly used to claim that Gandhi was an admirer of Jesus and his teachings and to point out the hypocrisy of Christians (e.g. we preach “turn the other cheek” but don’t do it). In reality, though, this reveals that Gandhi didn’t understand Christianity at all. Christianity is a religion founded on the idea that human beings can’t live up to Jesus’ teaching. That’s the whole point. Jesus came to save a sinful humanity, not to author a life manual for people able to make good decisions. This is the error that Quinn, Warner, and Francis are making, too. It’s quite true that actions speak louder than words; that’s why we must practically shout the Gospel for it to be heard over our undermining actions.
So here’s hoping that Tim Tebow keeps talking about his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His actions, no matter how noble, certainly won’t illuminate Him.
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10 responses to “Preach Tim Tebow Always…Use Words When Necessary”
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Everybody needs to cut Tim Tebow some slack. Anybody who grew up in the South or Midwest knows that his mild religious displays are Phariseeism you see on a regular basis; Tebow’s “displays” don’t even fit into that category. If everybody would relax and back off on this silly controversy, we could focus on what’s really important: (1) that Tebow’s on-field bravado at Florida was a little grating, which has nothing to do with his religion, and (2) that he was decidedly NOT as good of a quarterback at Florida as Vince Young was at Texas.
Here endeth the lesson.
“. . . mild religious displays are innocuous compared to the Phariseeism . . .”
I don’t care for these outward signs of piety and I think they play into the caracitures that many paint of Christians.
Good post, Nick. I particularly like this line, “It’s quite true that actions speak louder than words; that’s why we must practically shout the Gospel for it to be heard over our undermining actions.”
But the Gospel qua Gospel–the message that “God justifies the ungodly” has been offensive in both action and words. Despite the protestations of St.Francis, Jesus was crucified for his words–“no one comes to the father except for me”(among others)–and his actions–“neither do I condemn you.”
The error from the beginning–both within and without the church–is to view oneself as a “teammate with Jesus,” rather than one who by his cross alone is being saved (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18)
Great article, but I can’t help but point out that St Francis of Assisi never said that.
“If Jesus were accurately described by his followers’ actions, no one would want to have anything to do with him!”
Maybe I do not understand this statement. But, I think offering the world an alternative way of trying to live (different values, priorities, etc). is a very profound witness to others of the Gospel. Notice that I said “trying.” I love this blog (read it everyday) but sometimes I feel like the emphasis is always that we are failures and cannot build a good life. Yes, the good life is all grace and should be given back to God. But, actions do speak louder than words. If Tebow was a great sportsman, treated his teammates and opponents well, was humble in victory and defeat, and played with integrity, he is still preaching the Gospel. He does not have to say spiritual things to be Gospel centered.
You said in your ash wed post the following –
“[Jesus] says that we shouldn’t even let other people see us when we pray (Matthew 6:5-6)!”
How does this fit with “Tebowing?”
Hey Ross – I have to disagree that if Tebow were a great sportsman, treating his teammates well, etc. he would be preaching the Gospel. Maybe I’m being pedantic, but I think that it’s important that we be careful of the phrase “The Gospel.” It refers to something quite specific, the news (the Good News) that Christ came to save sinners. It’s not something you can do. Tebow, when he does those good things is following the Law (i.e. something separate from the Gospel) that Jesus set for us. And the problem with calling that “preaching the Gospel” is that whenever he DOESN’T treat his teammates well or play with integrity, the house of cards comes tumbling down.
As for Tebowing and Jesus’ reticence about public prayer, I do sort of think that Tebow does it unconsciously, without the desire to be seen. It just seems that way to me, I couldn’t vouch.
I hear your concern about us MBirders being a little hesitant to talk about “building a good life.” The way I look at it is that the good things that happen to us in life are miracles of the Holy Spirit, and can be bountiful and wonderful. But as soon as we start describing what this “good life” looks like, the people we speak to begin to find ways in which their lives aren’t measuring up…and the good life starts to look like just one more unattainable goal. Maybe everyone’s not like, but I certainly am.
I see your point. Yes, the Gospel is that Christ came to save sinners. When we come to accept that reality, we finally see the ultimate reality that we are living in. We no longer have to be the best quarterback, or win the super bowl. We can focus on the things that matter, or said in another way, we can focus on reality. So, if Tebow operated under the Gospel reality, he is preaching the Gospel in my opinion. In his situation, that Gospel reality would be being a different kind of NFL player. Yes, that may involve some ‘doing,’ which I understand may be a bad word around here. But he is doing it not for the sake of earning something – because there is nothing more to earn. He is doing it for the sake of it being good or beautiful or in some, for the Glory of his Creator.
How do you build a family, a culture, or a society if we are constantly afraid to talk with any authority about what is good just because we might be creating a new law that people can’t measure up to? Is it another unattainable goal to not talk about what is the good life. Because, I sometimes want to.
Great post. What I find it more annoying than the particular things people say about Tebow is that we Christians (I am guilty of this as well, in fact I guess I’m doing it now) spend so much time critiquing other Christians at all, much less those who are actually willing to make their relationship with Christ clearly seen. I don’t mean that there isn’t room to critique, especially if someone isn’t right on the essentials, but while some would say Tebow may be overboard in the way he shows his relationship with Christ, others might be overboard hiding their “city on a hill” (Matt 5:14-16).
When I was a young believer I realized that I was intimidated to talk to people in a mixed crowd of people (atheists, agnostics, “spiritual” people, etc) because I knew that everyone would get something different from what I said, or would have a different issue with what I said. Eventually I realized that I want to be more concerned about not saying truth boldly than I am about people misunderstanding it. I admire Tebow for this reason.
I guess all of this to say, if at the end of the day someone is resting in the grace and love of God through Christ, I don’t think we should spend as much time as we do thinking about how they can do what they do better, unless it’s build up one another in love. (Which the comments by Quinn and Warner didn’t come across to me as euther building Tebow up, or in love. They seem to simply offer their resolution to Tebow’s “problem.”)
I marvel at the reactions to Tebow, both compadres and detractors. Listening to some sports talk radio station the other day respond to the GQ article, a broadcaster declared he honestly had “no problem with Tim Tebow”, but that “he couldn’t stand his whiny followers”. I chuckled. That comment rang true and I remembered Ghandi’s piercing words. Being finite as we are, humans, both Christians preserved by the awful and precious blood of Christ, and those who reject the offering of all offerings, are sometimes dead-set on worshipping idols. Whether it be the goodness of those whom adore in the flesh, or the idea of their goodness, we all miss the point of the true Gospel if we think or dare to live as though what we do is the Gospel. It is finished folks. Soli Deo Gloria. (speaking of idols, I’m preparing to watch the Oscars…:)