Yesterday I
posted about Tebow’s 316 yard miracle, as some are calling it. I suggested,
among other things, that God had nothing to do with this and did not make/help
Tebow throw 316 yards so that attention would be drawn to John 3:16. I was, not
unexpectedly, trounced upon on both on this blog and Facebook. No problem, I
know that I was touching an American Holy Grail.
But as I
stated more than once, my problem is not with Tebow. Indeed, my understanding
is that even he is careful not to suggest that God is playing football with
him. Here is a quote from one commentator that suggests this.
Again today,
Tebow did next to nothing until the waning moments, and then, down 10-0 with
two minutes left, he throws a touchdown pass, and the Broncos tie it at the gun
on a 59-yard field goal. And then win it in overtime on a 51 yarder. The
combination of Denver’s continuing late heroics, and today, the Bears otherwise
unexplainable errors, is enough to have some at least suspect divine
intervention. Except that Tebow, whose sincere faith cannot be questioned, and
should be respected, also has the good sense, and good grace, to make it clear
he does not believe God takes a hand in the outcome of games.
I am glad
that Tebow has yet to claim Jesus is playing football and I hope he steadfastly
refuses to do so. He seems to have a healthy recognition that his creator has
endowed him with some amazing gifts, but does not slip into suggesting that he
has a special divine blessing to win.
My beef, if
I can call it that, is with the Christian fans who are suggesting that God is
getting in the middle of an American football game in order to win glory and
praise while at the same time promoting the gospel message. I just don’t think
God gets involved with sporting events that way. And I have serious theological
problems with calling a football game a miracle. When I hear Christians claiming
divine intervention in a football game a number of things go through my head.
I think about
a prayer request I heard in chapel yesterday. A missionary family in Syria
requests prayer because there are roaming gangs in their neighborhood killing
men and raping woman. I hope they get a
miracle from God before they become the next victims.
I wonder
about my friend in India and his ministry. His pastors have been the subject of
numerous brutal attacks for their faith. I hope there is a miracle for them before the
next attack.
I think
about the 16,000 or more people killed in last year’s tsunami in Japan. I wish
that God would have miraculously stopped that wall of water even if only to bring glory to himself.
I wonder
where the miracles are for all the children that are abducted and killed each
year.
I wonder
about the poor who, by no fault of their own, have lost jobs, homes and family and yet no miracle is there for them. I wonder what they think of God intervening
in a football game and not their own situations.
I could go
on and on.
Of course
the first question I am asked is: “But couldn’t God . . . “ And the answer to
such an open question is, of course, yes. But the more important question. The
one that disturbs my soul is the other question. “Why didn’t God.”
It’s not that
I am not open to miracles. I just am not ready to quickly declare something a
miracle simply because a Christian is involved and some vague, possible
allusion to a Bible verse. I see the disasters of life all around us and I
wonder why God would choose to show up at a football game on Sunday and not
other places in the world.
Some people
would suggest to me that my narrow view of world events and miracles means that
my God is not big enough to be interested in both human tragedy and football. I
would suggest the opposite is true. Perhaps your God is too small. He is able
to make a football fly 316 yards, but not stop a wall of water.
These are the kinds of things I think about when I hear people call some things a miracle.And I wonder about the lack of other miracles. I just wonder.