Tag Archives: scripture

Why Tim Tebow’s Life is a Tragedy: a Song of Goats, Gators, Broncos, and Jets

Everyone’s life is a story, especially the lives of celebrities.

But the way our stories get told is often what distinguishes us common folk from celebrities, mostly because celebrities have the media following them around creating a narrative, or drama, that always takes a predictable path.

Generally the media creates two kinds of stories* – the first is Comedy. A comedy is a type of story where a person on the bottom goes through a series difficult events whereby he succeeds in the end and comes out on top - often symbolized by a ceremony, an honor, award, wedding, etc.

In short, the comedic narrative moves from despair to victory. Perfect examples of this are all those “rags to riches” stories you’ve heard. The NBA player who came out of the ghetto to make millions of dollars. The kid born to parents without a college education grows up to get a PhD. and change the world with his medical discovery. This is comedy, a story that moves from despair to victory.

The other kind of story the media plays with is Tragedy. A tragedy moves in the opposite direction of comedy. In tragedy a person on top experiences chaos in her life and ends up at the bottom – often death, but “death” can also be metaphorical (i.e. poverty, brokeness, addiction, etc.).

In short, tragedy moves from victory to despair. The perfect example of this is Princess Diana, who the media placed on a pedestal when she originally married Charles. Over time, however, she became of a victim of her very media makers – eventually, and literally, dying at the hands of the very people who created her story.

Tiger Woods is also a good example. Here is the poster boy, the hero of the American Dream, the belief that everyone, of any color, can succeed, come out on top, in our world. But no one can live up to that standard of perfect hero. And while adultery and addiction are common in America today, they are only tragic (in the narrative sense) when a celebrity is going through it and a pre-existing narrative of victory (he’s our hero!) exists. In other words, for Tiger Woods, starting on the top only meant his story could go one direction in the media’s narrative – down. 

This, I maintain, is exactly what is going to happen to Tim Tebow. 

From his time at UF, the media has written Tebow’s story as a tragedy. His story begins with him as the hero – he has what, 2 or 3 National Championships? He’s the poster boy. The hero. The example of the all-American kid. And on top of that, he apparently has no moral flaws. 

And this last point is important. For this is why the tabloids follow him around. This is why the news people are always looking at him from a different angle. In the tragic narrative they are creating there is only one direction to take a hero. They are looking for a way to construct his narrative after the pre-existent model, like that of Princess Diana and Tiger Woods. And if they can’t find it in his morality, they will keep pushing until they find a different flaw. (I maintain that, while I don’t think Tebow’s a great NFL QB, the reason the media pays so much attention to how he responds negatively to being asked to run the Wildcat offense is a weak, but predictable, attempt to show him as less than heroic. It shows the desperation they feel trying to destroy the very hero they’ve created.)

So let me make a bold prediction: The way the media has framed Tebow’s story is a tragedy. And currently he is the hero. But because a tragedy must end in death (literal or metaphorical), Tebow’s story can only lead to Tebow’s death. 

Tim Tebow is not a perfect man – even if he is a wonderful Christian. And this means that they will find a flaw in him if they snoop enough. In other words, the media will kill their hero. They have to. 

I don’t know when. I don’t know how. But I know it’s coming. If you are a praying person, pray for him that when it does happen, his Christian faith will carry him on to resurrection life.

So you tell me – What other celebrities have you seen go through the media’s Tragedy cycle? What are some other good examples of this? What are other aspects of Tragedy that you’d highlight in the Tebow story? 

*My analysis of comedy and tragedy is admittedly very surface. I don’t want to write a 3,000 word blog to explain the details. You can always read a good book on the subject if you’re that interested.

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Things I’ve (Re)Learned from the Rob Bell Saga

  • Before we say, “I disagree,” we should be able to say, “I truly understand.” There’s no point in disagreeing with something we haven’t made sure we fully understand. When we disagree prematurely all we’re really saying is, “You’re not going to change my mind; don’t confuse me with the facts.”
  • Some people get offended by criticism no matter what. There have been good-critical reviews of Bell’s book. There have been bad-critical reviews of Bell’s book. The trick is to understand the difference, not just throw all criticism together in the trash-heap of “Rob-Bell-Haters.” And the other trick is to be able to take criticism without always seeing it as a personal attack. Criticism, when done correctly, can only make us better people.

  • The word “heretic” is almost useless the way we use it. As are the words “orthodox,” “conservative,” and “liberal.” In the end, the way we use these words essentially says more about us than they do about the person we’re criticizing. In the Evangelical world, “heretic” and “liberal” are simply those who disagree with “me.” And “conservative” and “orthodox” are those who happen to agree with me. In other words, we’ve abandoned the actual definitions of these words for uses of these words that are polarizing and promote distrust and misunderstanding instead of understanding. Therefore, our uses of these words make them ultimately useless.

  • Some people are heresy hunters. They’re looking for ways to denounce people who don’t agree with them as apostates to the gospel. I attribute this to a messiah-complex whereby they see themselves as the last true Christians on the planet. This kind of elitism is unfortunate and will ultimately lead to their irrelevance in our culture. And this makes me sad because their passion could be beneficial to the kingdom of God.

  • Some people are just naïve. People will tack themselves to personalities instead of the gospel. They will defend a person regardless of what they say, simply because they like the person. Rob Bell could’ve denied the gospel and some people would’ve followed him because they love Bell more than the gospel. On the other side, Kevin DeYoung could’ve been an absolute jerk in response to Bell and people will defend him with scripture because they loved his polemics over Paul’s call to unity in I Corinthians.

To all such people, I ask this: Was Rob Bell Crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Kevin DeYoung?

  • John 17 is completely ignored by most American Christians. We prefer disunity over unity. We prefer schism to an appreciation of diversity. We prefer ousting people from both heaven and the church over opening our arms as wide as God’s. And, guess what! The world was watching. And you know what they saw? Christians fighting…again. Isn’t it funny how every time we make national media it’s because we’re fighting for, over, or against something? So much for them knowing us by our love and unity.
  • We are sheep. This whole saga was a marketing ploy by HarperOne. And it worked. We did exactly what they expected. They, and they alone, are the true winners in this. And boy did they win – last I heard Bell’s book was #6 on Amazon.

  • We pastor’s have done a terrible job of teaching our people that the goal of salvation isn’t a good after-life in Heaven, but that Heaven begins in this life….salvation begins in this life. We aren’t waiting for Heaven; we’re co-workers with God bringing Heaven to earth. Until we get this straight, we will continue to misunderstand the gospel.

  • Those who use the keys of death and Hell are often trying to unlock the doors of power. Do you want power over a person, a culture, or a movement? Just threaten to unleash Hell against all potential deviants. Not only will you end all rational discussion, but you’ll effectively control both those who are already convinced you’re right AND those who don’t think you’re right, but are afraid of you. People throughout the centuries have believed that the threat of Hell holds the potential to control empires. And they are right…until they are wrong. People can be controlled by the threat of Hell for a short time, but they can’t thrive under the threat of Hell…and sooner or later they will be so desperate for real, thriving life that they won’t be manipulated by fear anymore. The power of the gospel, then, is not in the threat of Hell, but the beauty of Jesus Christ.

  • Rob Bell is apparently more of a danger to orthodox Christianity than a tsunami is to the Japanese coastline. Since we’re talking about Hell and all, I find it interesting that in the separation of the sheep from the goats, Jesus is clear that one’s eschatology (doctrine of the Last Things) is not the deciding factor in where people spend eternity, but rather, one’s response to human suffering is. I am saddened by myself and others who followed this saga more closely than we followed the tragedy in Japan, who have fretted over this saga more than we’ve fretted over dead babies in Japan, who have prayed more about Rob Bell than we’ve prayed for God’s presence in Japan. It’s time for me to repent.

Is there anything you’d add to my list?

Does Your Political Candidate Support These Values?

Does the candidate you’re voting for support these values from Matthew 5?

5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.