Grandstanding and the Gospel

Over the years, I have been very conflicted concerning the subject of Tim Tebow.  On the one hand, he is a phenomenal athlete who consistently dominated my Volunteers, along with most of the SEC, pretty much from the time he began playing with Florida.  I wish him well as enters the draft, and hope he can silence the naysayers doubting his ability to cut it as an NFL quarterback.  He is a stand-up guy, and when a week can’t pass without one of Tennessee’s players being arrested, it is nice to see a college athlete who is respectable.  Beyond his athletic abilities and his character, I respect that Tebow is a brother in Christ, and is passionate about the Christian faith. 

 

That said, something has troubled me about the phenomenon that is Tim Tebow, which is not his message, but his method … the out-of-context passages under the eye potentially trivializing the scriptures, often being filmed as he participates in mission work and speaks at various events, the confidence that borders on arrogance, etc. … and by giving him an iconic status, Evangelicals haven’t helped Tebow in this regard. (Ted Kluck wrote a great article in Christianity Today this past fall on this subject www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/augustweb-only/135-11.0.html?start=1)  And while there is a certain amount of understandable zeal from a college student in his situation, as Tebow has gained increased notoriety, it can become difficult to tell where public interest stops and attention seeking begins, leading me at times to question if some if his actions could be a tad self-serving, or even misguided. 

 

One such example is the upcoming Focus on the Family advertisement that will air during this year’s Super Bowl.  The commercial will highlight Tebow’s mother carrying Tim to full-term despite being advised to terminate the pregnancy.  This will promise to be a moving story that very much appeals to my sensibilities as one with a concern for the unborn.  Certainly, Focus on the Family has a ‘right’ to air the commercial, and Tim Tebow has the ‘right’ to participate in this ad.  I do not question their right to free speech, but what I have are some questions concerning the wisdom of the ad.

 

First, and most unimportant, is this wise for the Super Bowl?  Once having a policy in place against airing highly controversial religious and/or political advertising during the Super Bowl, CBS rejected the United Church of Christ in 2004 in their attempt to broadcast an advertisement condemning numerous churches for their policies on homosexuality in light of their own.  However, CBS states that under the new policy, the UCC’s ad would be acceptable.  Does ‘Focus on the Family’ realize the box that it is opening here by setting this precedent, and do we as Christians want to be the ones opening the box?  While Super Bowl commercials have been disappointing from time to time, spending a four-hour game watching mudslinging from any/every group that can raise 2.5 million dollars isn’t my idea of a good time … NAMBLA, anyone?

 

Second, and more important, is this wise for the pro-life movement?  Over the last decade, pro-life Christians seem to have figured out that public protest/condemnation isn’t exactly the most effective way of reaching those struggling with making decisions concerning unwanted pregnancies, or reaching the conscious of the nation.  It was when more compassionate approaches such as an emphasis on crisis pregnancy centers and adoption came into the picture that things began to shift.  This is not to deny the important role of public statements and legislation.  However, I am uncertain if this is the proper place for such a statement, and I also am uncertain of the objective of this commercial.  However, what I am certain of is that though Focus on the Family’s commercial will not be intentionally hostile, it will be interpreted by its opponents as adversarial. 

 

Lastly, and most important, is this wise for the sake of the gospel?  For many, Tebow’s views will be equated with Christianity, and understandably so, for they derive from his Christian worldview … but this commercial will not present the most important message of the Christian faith, namely the gospel of salvation by grace through faith.  Therefore, for many people, this advertisment will only be a message of condemnation, leading me to wonder, ‘how might this be received by someone who has participated in an abortion?’  Will moral grandstanding bring broken people closer to message of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ, or does it have the potential to create an ‘us versus them’ dynamic where those who need the gospel feel like our enemies? 

 

Once again, I find myself conflicted … Though protecting life should be our concern as Christians and we should be not fearful of publically expressing our views, to paraphrase Paul in Ephesians, the truth must be presented with love, and this speaks not only to the content and tone of our message, but the method of that message as well.