Last week I posted a blurb about Tim Tebow and the brouhaha that was circulating because of his planned visit to a radical church that preaches that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven and that homosexuality is a sin. Turns out Tim canceled the visit, indicating he needed to steer clear of controversy, but he would be willing to come back in the future and speak. I was bummed. I have all the respect in the world for Mr. Tebow. He is the poster child for God's love in the violent world of professional football, despite the flack he takes for it from peers and the media. He's a good guy. But he has disappointed me in this situation—not that it's his duty to keep me happy. On the other hand, I'm sure it is his goal to keep his Heavenly Father happy. Did his avoidance of speaking at this controversial church accomplish that mission? My take is negatory.
It used to be, back in my day when Eddie Haskell was considered a juvenile delinquent, that little kids were shielded from the realities of a world that seemed to serve as evidence for Charles Darwin's theory—dog eat dog, survival of the fittest, man is just another animal doctrine. You get the picture. Kids grew up innocent, dreaming of a world of beauty and love. Then they usually grew up and discovered that the real world did not rotate according to the principles of justice, fairness, and the golden rule. If they were blessed with extraordinary perception, they realized that there actually were two real worlds, one where goodness prevailed and one where evil reigns. They became aware of the ongoing conflict between those two worlds for dominance. Conflict equals war, fighting, non harmony, things that are not exactly pleasant. At first battlefields don't seem to fit into the ideal world and the concept of triumphant love, but a person of understanding realizes that without an adequate self-defense, the dark world would engulf the one of light.
God is the author of love, but he is also the giver of the law. In order to love, we have to follow certain protocol—use the word commandment here for maximum understanding. Some people consider love as pouring out compliments, smiles, approbation, and non stop encouragement with no trace of criticism, correction, or displeasure. If we want to attain such love and seeming peace and harmony in our world, we must value everything, as equally as possible, with the value of human happiness being at the pinnacle of the pyramid. So if someone doesn't get upset at others for driving while intoxicated, aborting their babies, failing to cut their lawn, standing up in front of them during the entire football game, partying loudly every night—you fill in the blank here, that person can be seen as a loving person. And here is where deception must be considered. If God says He hates sin and that doing x, y, and z equals sin, that a logical person can extrapolate into understanding that God doesn't want us to do x, y, and z. In fact, the Bible says that those who do will spend an eternity in a place called hell.
So love dictates that if I truly love person A who is doing x, I must speak out and offer a course correction. That person might not like such advice and probably won't at the time, but true love requires speaking truth out of concern for the other's benefit. Now if I speak words of correction for my benefit or to cut down person A, I have missed the boat and am in need of correction. There is a very fine distinction here and it's critical you comprehend this point.
Tebow certainly is under no requirement to speak out his faith in the pulpit of Robert Jeffress or in any other church. However, if he is going to allow sportscasters and others to dissuade him from getting involved in a fight between good and evil, he's letting down the team. The quarterback is in a unique position to accomplish things on the field. As a Christian in the public eye, Tebow is in a similar position in regard to ministry. What he has done in this situation is similar to a kidnap victim paying a ransom. The rabble rousers have learned they can negatively impact Christian ministry through criticism, so you can rest assured that Satan will encourage them to utilize such techniques every chance they get. Tebow is still just a kid. We perhaps have thrust too much responsibility on his shoulders. I just wish he would have discerned that running through the press is not unlike wandering past the line of scrimmage with the pigskin. Large hostile, agile, and mobile men are waiting to part him and his teeth. And who knows what will happen at the bottom of a pileup. Tebow knows that he can't cave in to the fear of punishment and pain, or he'll never play in the NFL again. He has to fight through and combat force with his own. After the play is over, he can help the tackler up and say God bless, but before the whistle blows, the fight is on. It's the same way in God's world. We are called to be soldiers of love. (More on this to follow)
For a similar video observation of this event, check out Coach Dave at
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