Putting the Protest in Protestant
The reason for asking is that the NFL franchise in the City of Brotherly Love has just signed Tim Tebow, the uber pious Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, to a contract. When an athlete has particular religious affiliations, believers tend to get a bit giddy, maybe even to the point of losing perspective.
Consider the piece that the folks at Crux ran about Jordan Spieth, the champion at this year’s Masters golf tournament. Though only a graduate of a Roman Catholic prep school — and not apparently a member of the Roman Catholic Church — the editors of Crux thought Spieth’s ties to Roman Catholicism were newsworthy for their coverage of all those Christians in fellowship with the Bishop of Rome:
That loyalty is not surprising for those who see Spieth on the national stage. They say he is the same young man with the same value system that he had embraced at Dallas Catholic schools, including his elementary school, St. Monica Catholic School.
“Jordan was always respectful to staff and students alike,” said Colette Corbin of the school’s Student Services Department. “He was one of those kids that would just stay and help clean up in the cafeteria if he saw that I was short on students helping. He was considerate of others’ feelings and tried to include other students that might otherwise not be part of a group.”
And Jesuit’s Earsing said Spieth will be an inspiration for students, parents, and teachers in Dallas Catholic schools.
“I think it’s a hope of everybody who works in Catholic education that you see somebody who is achieving at such a high level, who is also a wonderful model for our students,” Earsing said. “Jordan is just the common man who achieves greatness through the blessings and talent God has given him to the maximum.”
Well and good, but why didn’t the reporter ask about Spieth’s current church membership and what he does for Sunday worship during the golf season?
Rooting for the faith team is not something that afflicts Roman Catholics only. Back when Bubba Watson won the Masters, the Protestants at Gospel Coalition seemed to want some of the golfer’s fame to rub off on them because of a shared faith:
The Story: On Sunday Bubba Watson, one of the most untraditional golfers on the PGA Tour, was the surprise winner of the 2012 Masters Tournament. But golf isn’t Watson’s top priority. What he considers most important can be gleaned from the description on his Twitter account:”@bubbawatson: Christian. Husband. Daddy. Pro Golfer. Owner of General Lee 1.”
The Background: In an interview with Trevor Freeze of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Watson tells how he uses his Twitter account—-along with his PGA platform—- to share about his faith in Christ.
“For me, it’s just showing the Light,” said Watson. “There’s people who want to put down Christians. I try to tell them Jesus loves you. It’s just a way to be strong in my faith.”
Last month Watson’s Tweeted before his third round: “The most important thing in my life? Answer after I golf 18 holes with @JustinRose99. #Godisgood”
Later that day he posted on his account, “Most important things in my life- 1. God 2. Wife 3. Family 4. Helping others 5. Golf”
The Psalmist said put no trust in princes with the implication being that believers should only trust God. Why would golfers even be an object of hope or trust?
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