Kneeling sportsmen Not only is Tebow immensely successful, he is also, by every possible objective public record, a Christian. Not only is he a professing Christian, but he seems remarkably at ease in his ‘own skin’ about this, and is happy to talk about his faith without sounding creepy or pious in that greasy shuddery sense that we all loathe. Now, to the title: ‘Tebowing’ is what Tim Tebow has become known for outside of throwing footballs very fast and accurately. After a touchdown (read ‘Try’ for Rugby), or a particularly successful play (read ‘move’), Tim Tebow will go down on one knee as a public expression of thanks to Jesus Christ. If you YouTube ‘Tebowing’ you will find not only Tim Tebow doing it, but a slew of imitators, either mocking him (mercifully few) or good humouredly aping him. Tim Tebow is the most prominent currently, but he has not been alone among American sports stars using the platform given to him to witness to the gospel. There probably are equivalents in England, and there is the wonderful work of Christians In Sport. Jason Robinson, the retired England Rugby star, had something of a similar platform and witness, though he was much quieter about it, but it does come out in his autobiography.

Seize the opportunity

All this to say, ‘Physical training is of some value’ (1 Timothy 4.8). Bible scholars among us will know that the word Paul chooses there for physical training is the word that originally referred to the ancient habit of training in the games. So Paul is at least referencing a whole fairly serious training system, the ‘gymnastics’ of the ancient world, in some way, if no doubt tangentially and generally. While, appearances to the opposite in this article, I have spent most of the last 20 plus years of my life getting educated and trained and experience in ‘preaching the word’ so that I can do that as excellently as God will allow me to his glory, I also can’t help but wonder whether we should (as part of the diverse gifting of the church) continue to find ways to trumpet those among us whose muscles bulge and who are freakily unusually genetically gifted in a physical sports sense. I’ve bowed on one knee before, but it’s not all over the internet or on YouTube. And the life of a sports star may be brief, but if we can identify, train and equip people to make the most of that platform… Well, may ‘Tebowing’ continue. ********* The above article was written for Evangelicals Now and published in their news publication for January 2012.]]>