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"DOES GOD CARE WHO WINS THE SUPER BOWL?"
Rev. Jimmy Only - January 29, 2012
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3, NRSV)
Does God care who wins the Super Bowl? After the Rams won the Super Bowl in 1999, their quarterback, Kurt Warner, an Evangelical Christian, praised Jesus for the spectacular win in a post-game interview. His teammate, receiver Isaac Bruce, described catching the winning pass like this: “That wasn’t me. That was all God. I had to make an adjustment on the ball, and God did the rest. (Thanks to God’s invisibility, the Rams were not penalized for having 12… [players] on the field.)” On the other hand, baseball legend Ty Cobb could commit 4 of the 7 deadly sins before lunch and then dazzle the Detroit Tiger fans in an afternoon double header. But today’s sports heroes are increasingly religious and increasingly public about their faith. And while many of the athletes pray to merely do their best in the game, others pray to win and win big to the glory of God.
And so I ask, does God care who wins the Super Bowl? The answer, of course, depends on who you ask. I asked my children that question at the dinner table last week. They concluded that God will root for the Patriots over the Giants because in the Bible David used his slingshot to kill a giant, Goliath. Not many NFL players would know this story as well as Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos.
Whether you love him or hate him, Tim Tebow’s story is compelling. “Tebow was born…in the Philippines, to American parents who were serving as Baptist missionaries at the time…While pregnant, his mother suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of the drugs used to rouse her from a coma and to treat her dysentery, the fetus experienced a severe placental abruption. Doctors had expected a stillbirth and recommended an abortion…to protect her life, but she decided not to have one.”
The child she had, Tim Tebow, became a famous quarterback at the University of Florida where he led the gators to two national championships and won the Heisman Trophy. While at Florida, Tebow made headlines for writing biblical citations on the black patches he put on his face underneath his eyes, a practice banned in the NFL and recently banned by the NCAA. Tebow entered the 2010 NFL draft and was chosen by the Broncos as the 25th pick overall.
In his rookie year, Tebow mostly sat on the bench. He began as the backup quarterback last fall as the Broncos hit the skids with a 1-3 record. Tebow’s big chance came when the Broncos were in the midst of losing their 4th game. While Tebow played much better than expected, the Broncos lost the game, though Tebow won the right to play as the starting quarterback. And then the magic happened, Tebow led the Broncos to improbable victories in seven of their next eight games. Under Tebow, the Broncos made the playoffs, where they were eventually crushed by the New England Patriots. Through it all, Tebow became the most watched player in the NFL, as much for his athleticism as for his overt expressions of faith both on and off the field.
A couple of weeks ago Dan Barry wrote an article about Tim Tebow in the New York Times entitled, “He’s a Quarterback, He’s a Winner, He’s a TV Draw, He’s a Verb.” Barry wrote, “Somehow, this N.F.L. sophomore … has upended cynical assumptions about professional athletics to become … the country’s favorite active athlete, as declared by a recent poll by ESPN. Tim Tebow is now a cultural touchstone. ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’ dedicated an hour-long program to Tebow…triggering a case of nationwide Twitter hyperventilation. Some fans are wearing Broncos jerseys with Tebow’s number and Jesus’ name. Around the world, people are ‘tebowing’ — kneeling in prayer…head resting on one hand, oblivious to surroundings, just as Tebow does after victories. Still, when a wedding party tebows in Las Vegas, or a couple tebows on Abbey Road in London, or two scuba divers tebow underwater in Belize, it can be hard to tell whether they are celebrating or mocking him for his virtuous ways [or possibly both…and for the record, well over 20,000 pictures of people tebowing have been submitted to www.tebowing.com ]. What, exactly, is it about Tim Tebow that so fascinates and provokes us? Why do some people project onto him the best of this country (humility, tenacity, plain old decency) — and the worst (sanctimoniousness, overexposure, political intolerance)?...[And Tebow’s true story] is almost too good to be true. While some athletes swan around at [strip joints], he plays…tag with his family. While some athletes dedicate themselves to video games in their free time, he visits hospitals and prisons, and goes to the Philippines in the off-season as part of a ministry to help orphans. Those who distrust this kind of faith-based outreach, perhaps because they detect a conservative political agenda behind it all, found an aha moment during the 2010 Super Bowl. In a 30-second commercial paid for by Focus on the Family, an evangelical Christian nonprofit organization, Tebow and his mother told the story of his birth — a ‘miracle baby’ — and her choice not to have an abortion.”
It’s no secret that I am pro-choice and am no fan of James Dobson and Focus on the Family. And being pro-choice, I am happy for the Tebows that their choice resulted in both mother and son being alive and well today. Even though Tim Tebow’s politics and theology are far more conservative than mine, I still like the guy and admire the good he’s doing in the world. Since he was in college, Tebow has been raising money for orphanages and hospitals in the developing world. And while I would never be comfortable wearing my faith on my sleeve the way Tebow does, I am not offended by him praying in public. Though I did find it strange that after the Broncos lost to the Patriots, that Tebow did not go down on one knee and show appreciation to God for being with him in defeat as well as victory.
Tim Tebow is hardly the first player to publicly display his faith. Writing for NBC.com John Walters (not our John Walter by a long shot!) writes, “Separation of church and sport? Since when? The ancient Olympic Games in Greece were chiefly a religious festival held in honor of Zeus, the father of the gods and goddesses… Separation of church and sport? The game of basketball was invented at a YMCA ...a Young Men’s Christian Association.”
Back in 2,000, David Plotz, a journalist for slate.com wrote, “Though sports heroes boosted attendance at 19th-century tent revivals, the modern era of ‘Muscular Christianity’ began in the late 40’s when Billy Graham began recruiting born-again athletes to profess their faith publicly. Sports stars have espoused all kinds of religion—Notre Dame built a Catholic football dynasty; Muhammad Ali invoked Elijah Muhammad at the beginning of every interview (much to Howard Cosell’s annoyance)—but evangelical Christianity has been by far the most successful in recruitment. Emotional, highly personal, nondenominational Protestantism has [become the] dominant sports religion….There have been publicly religious players in the NFL since the ‘60s, but their numbers have surged since the ‘80s…[with] the proselytizing of stars such as Mike Singletary, Reggie White, and Deion Sanders. Post-game prayer circles include players from both teams. Every NFL team has a chaplain—invariably an evangelical—who holds Bible studies and weekend chapels…Athletes are very pragmatic and outcome-oriented…It is no accident that many athletes believe in God’s involvement in all aspects of life, including football. Athletes want results, and they want to see them when they pray. Former Green Bay Packer [Reggie] White [an ordained minister who was often referred to as the ‘minister of defense’ said]…he knows God acts on football games because God intervened in David’s battle with Goliath. The Atlanta Falcons chaplain recently declared that God cares about field goals. When quarterback Randall Cunningham had a great season in 1998, he said that God was showing his appreciation by letting Cunningham win 16 games. Athletes are also superstitious, searching for ways to control games that are inherently chaotic. Some view faith as magic, a ‘genie in a bottle,’ as Cleveland Browns chaplain Tom Petersburg puts it. Pray, and good fortune will follow. According to GQ, the Rams’ Bruce recently credited God for answering his prayers after a poor first half: ‘God really manifested in the third quarter. I had 89 yards’…It goes without saying that non-evangelicals reject the idea that Jesus is throwing passes and making tackles. But it is also the case that, except for athletes such as Bruce who make claims about God’s on-the-field heroics, few…[liberal Christians like us] accept the ‘Jesus in the Backfield’ theology…. Team chaplains, theologians, pastors, and most Christian players are skeptical, calling it ‘facile,’ ‘immature,’ and even ‘heresy.’ Some argue that football is too trivial for God’s concern. ‘God does not give a rip about who wins or loses. God is engaged in the world, but not in things like athletic contests. That is too frivolous,’ says Emory University theologian James Freeman, an expert on sports and religion.”
Which brings us back to the question, does God care who wins the Super Bowl? If so, it seems that the New Orleans Saints would win the Super Bowl every year and the Los Angeles Angels would win the World Series indefinitely. Seriously though, I think while it is fine to pray to do your best in a game or any endeavor, I don’t think it is appropriate to pray to win, even the Super Bowl. While I don’t think God cares who wins or loses on the football field, I do think God cares how we play the game. AMEN.
Written by Rev. Jimmy Only
January 29, 2012
The Congregational Church of Manhasset, New York (UCC)
PASTORAL PRAYER
Loving God, you have blessed us with the gift of life and a wonderful world in which to live. We offer our thanks and praise. You, O God, the very Source of life, love us as your children. May we embrace our lives and the lives of others with courage and compassion, unafraid of life’s highs and lows, life’s joy and pain. May your care be made known in our care of others. Assist those who suffer poverty, injustice or oppression. Open the ears of our hearts to hear and quicken in us the desire to respond in love.
Awaken in us boundless compassion, and use us as agents of loving-kindness. In your love and concern for us, hear the prayers of your people. Enliven us, by your Spirit, to live into the fullness of your Reign. We pray through Jesus Christ who gives us hope. AMEN.
Adapted from a prayer by Donna Seamone and Paul Bosch, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Lift Up Your Hearts website.
