Tim Tebow 'God's QB,' But Does God Care About Football?
After his seventh victory in eight starts, Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow has been labeled “God’s QB” and “God’s begotten son” by media outlets, which is causing some to question how much God really cares about football.
“If you believe then unbelievable things can sometimes be possible,” Tebow said after overcoming a deficit to defeat the Chicago Bears in the last two minutes of the game on Sunday.
Although fans have watched Tebow make seven second-half comebacks, most in the fourth quarter or overtime, many were shocked to see Bears’ RB Marion Barber bring the ball out of bounds and fumble to help clinch the Broncos’ win.
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Although Tebow took to his Facebook page to thank his teammates and praise the lord, others are giving him most of the credit.
Tebow’s pastor Wayne Hanson, who leads Summit Church in Colorado, told TMZ that a divine force was behind Tebow’s winning streak.
“Luck isn’t winning 6 games in a row,” Hanson wrote. “It’s favor. God’s favor.”
Football fans took to Twitter to express their feelings concerning Tebow’s big win.
“If Tim Tebow takes the Broncos to the Super Bowl, I might have to convert to Christianity," one person said.
Another asked non-believers to explain the phenomenon that is Tim Tebow.
"For those who do not believe in God,” the person wrote. “Explain Tim Tebow."
Charlamagne, a New York City radio personality on Power 105’s “The Breakfast Club” radio show, reprimanded non-believers of Tebow after the QB pulled off another late game win.
"Everybody is wondering how is Tim Tebow doing this how is he winning these games, well it's simple," Charlamagne said. "There is absolutely no defense against prayer. Tim Tebow is the best prayer in the NFL."
However, Dan Britton, Executive Vice President of Ministry at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, explained the Tim Tebow phenomenon to The Christian Post.
“It just seems that the Tim Tebow response is to the extreme,” Britton said. “The bottom line is we have a young Godly leader able to motivate his players because of who he is in Christ.”
Britton also spoke about Tebow praying on the football field, which some people may find excessive.
“Worship and church is not just about a brick building,” he said. “Therefore the playing field can be a sanctuary where athletes get to glorify god and use the gifts God has given them to perform, pray and compete just like they’re in church.”
The Broncos’ QB is not the first or only athlete who has decided to pray on a football field.
After a football game between North Dakota State University and Youngstown State, opposing players joined together in the middle of the field to pray.
"We're not playing for ourselves anymore we're playing to glorify God," NDSU Linebacker Preston Evans told the NDSU student newspaper. "It's something we want to incorporate, giving thanks to God as much as we possibly can.”
Yet, Chad Gibbs, author of God & Football: Faith and Fanaticism in the SEC recognizes that as a fan of football, it is easy to question its number on the list of God's priorities.
"I know many people who say God doesn’t care about sports, he has more important things going on. My view of God is a little bigger than that," Gibbs said. "I think God can hear prayers about Sudan and Mark Ingram’s knee at the same time. But I think it’s obvious some things are more important than others, and on the list of things that should grieve our spirit, missed field goals are pretty far down the list."
Although the actual sport may not place high on God’s priority list, Britton still maintained that the sport is important for Christian players, especially those who praise God on and off the field.
