Happy Superbowl Day! Well, I am not sure if that is officially a known holiday, but you have to admit that the Superbowl is a fairly large event in North America.
There are great things about the big game. It brings families and friends together, it helps us remember amazing games and teams of years past, and you would have a hard time convincing me that it isn’t good for the economy after the line I just got through standing in at the grocery store!
Unfortunately, one could argue that there are many downsides to the Superbowl, as well as the NFL altogether. The ever rising focus on individuals over teams, the lack of respect players, coaches, owners, and everyone in-between give to one another, and the serious lack of role models that are produced by the most popular event of the year.
I am obviously speaking in pretty general terms here, but regardless of the truth, this is the perception of the Superbowl and the NFL today. I love football, and I love the NFL. I wish I could say better things about it, but when it comes down to it, the truth is that the league is a far cry from a God honoring establishment.
I believe and hope, however, that this is something that is changing. I don’t want to put all of the pressure on a single player in the NFL to turn things around. The media has done a great job of that already. Tim Tebow is a reminder, a reflection of the light of Christ, in a dark world. There are certainly other players out there that are Christ-followers, but none prior to Tebow have made such a substantial impact in the short amount of time that he has been able to.
Tebow did not become a Christian in 2011, but 2011 was the year that the world noticed his faith. Many attributed his remarkable statistics and late game rallies to his faith. I don’t go as far to say that, but I do think that Tebow and the rest of the Broncos, respectively, captured the concept of teamwork again. I love this, because I have become very concerned about the future of our great country. The lack of role models, and the continual praising of professional athletes who have less than desirable moral compasses is sickening, and definitely a step in the wrong direction. I believe that athletes and stars like Tebow help give a platform for other Christians out there to share the good news of Christ. They don’t bring themselves into the spotlight, but rather they bring their faith into the spotlight, and that has definitely brought about several conversations regarding faith.
I live in Colorado Springs, CO, and I can say that I have had tons of conversations, since Tebow took over the quarterback position for the Broncos, about faith and Christ. These conversations stemmed from talking about football, of all things! I think that is an awesome thing, and believe that God is using his followers, like Tebow, to reflect his glory in an otherwise God-less situation.
I encourage all of my fellow Christians to use the celebrity status of our famous brothers and sisters in Christ to launce into questions about faith. In our society, it has become more and more difficult to discuss Jesus, and I believe that by faith becoming a story line in entertainment, such as the NFL, we might just have an open door to start some of those discussions. Now, if we could only get some of those awesome commercials and half-time shows during church! Let’s get ready for some football!
In Christ,
Jon
There are great things about the big game. It brings families and friends together, it helps us remember amazing games and teams of years past, and you would have a hard time convincing me that it isn’t good for the economy after the line I just got through standing in at the grocery store!
Unfortunately, one could argue that there are many downsides to the Superbowl, as well as the NFL altogether. The ever rising focus on individuals over teams, the lack of respect players, coaches, owners, and everyone in-between give to one another, and the serious lack of role models that are produced by the most popular event of the year.
I am obviously speaking in pretty general terms here, but regardless of the truth, this is the perception of the Superbowl and the NFL today. I love football, and I love the NFL. I wish I could say better things about it, but when it comes down to it, the truth is that the league is a far cry from a God honoring establishment.
I believe and hope, however, that this is something that is changing. I don’t want to put all of the pressure on a single player in the NFL to turn things around. The media has done a great job of that already. Tim Tebow is a reminder, a reflection of the light of Christ, in a dark world. There are certainly other players out there that are Christ-followers, but none prior to Tebow have made such a substantial impact in the short amount of time that he has been able to.
Tebow did not become a Christian in 2011, but 2011 was the year that the world noticed his faith. Many attributed his remarkable statistics and late game rallies to his faith. I don’t go as far to say that, but I do think that Tebow and the rest of the Broncos, respectively, captured the concept of teamwork again. I love this, because I have become very concerned about the future of our great country. The lack of role models, and the continual praising of professional athletes who have less than desirable moral compasses is sickening, and definitely a step in the wrong direction. I believe that athletes and stars like Tebow help give a platform for other Christians out there to share the good news of Christ. They don’t bring themselves into the spotlight, but rather they bring their faith into the spotlight, and that has definitely brought about several conversations regarding faith.
I live in Colorado Springs, CO, and I can say that I have had tons of conversations, since Tebow took over the quarterback position for the Broncos, about faith and Christ. These conversations stemmed from talking about football, of all things! I think that is an awesome thing, and believe that God is using his followers, like Tebow, to reflect his glory in an otherwise God-less situation.
I encourage all of my fellow Christians to use the celebrity status of our famous brothers and sisters in Christ to launce into questions about faith. In our society, it has become more and more difficult to discuss Jesus, and I believe that by faith becoming a story line in entertainment, such as the NFL, we might just have an open door to start some of those discussions. Now, if we could only get some of those awesome commercials and half-time shows during church! Let’s get ready for some football!
In Christ,
Jon
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