CARNIVAL: Fun or Farce?

Byron Lee was not the first to start carnival in Jamaica. Caribbean students at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, held a carnival before 1990. There was also the Orange Carnival, organized by a group of Jamaicans. All these events mirrored carnival in Trinidad.

Despite being the first in the English-speaking Caribbean, carnival did not originate in Trinidad. There is no evidence of the festival prior to 1783, when the French-speaking planter immigrants and their African slaves arrived. Carnival finds its roots in Roman Catholicism and can be traced to the 12th century in France.

Then, it was called “The Feast of Fools”, and celebrated by junior priests who used the occasion “to make fun of traditional symbols and invent their own ludicrous symbols”. Fun characterized carnival then, as it does now.

Etymologically, carnival is believed to have come from two Latin words – carnus and vale – meaning, “good-bye or farewell to flesh.” It does seem apparent that both history and etymology concur that the essence of the festival is a fling of the flesh. Another word often associated with carnival is bacchanal – from Bacchus, a Roman and Greek mythical deity representing life and revelry. The term introduces the idea of revelry and drunkenness.

Masquerading is another feature in contemporary carnival celebrations. A similar feature was evident in the 12th century celebrations of the “Feast of Fools”. Author, Ingvild Gilhus, used the term “reversals” to describe the “contrary behavior”. This is what Loyd Brown referred to as “the element of play-acting which finds its most natural symbol in the mask of the road marcher and in the masquerade of the carnival bands – a fleeting mobility on its participants.”

The parallels between the contemporary and 12th century carnivals are amazing. For instance, “The Feast of Fools” focused on releasing tension to create arousal in the participants. It was as though the energy which kept the religious system together was let loose. There was a movement from the orderly to the ludicrous, from form to lack of form. The truth is, the quest for fun today, is no different than what was sought in the 12th century. Then, the festivities were referred to as asinaria festa, the “Feast of Asses.” The festivities brought much emotional relief to participants.

According to Darryl Barrow (Caribbean Journal of Religious Studies), “There are many people who regard carnival as a good escape releaser. People have been experiencing stress, strain and certain inhibitions – carnival allows people to release their pent-up energies and desires.”

Interestingly, what Barrow sees as an asset in carnival, Ismith Khan, in The Obeah Man, sees as symptoms of deep-seated social malaise. There seems to be an underlying irony of the carnival spirit. Derek Walcott may well be alluding to this in his poem Mass Man. Here Walcott exposes carnival as a kind of sham behind which we may discover images of pain and despair.

Much of this pain is reflected in the music. For Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, songs like Ragga Ragga and Tiney Winey might be entertaining, but the messages of the songs cannot be ignored. Pain is too often trivialized in order to solicit laughter. In Trinidad, Ash Wednesday, the day following carnival, is no laughing matter. The abandoned costumes, piles of garbage and inebriated bodies, paint a picture of gloom, so unlike the laughter that prevailed hours earlier.

As a Trinidadian, I have spent much time analyzing the fun promised by carnival festivities. However, it is not enough to say that that fun is illusive. Christians need to rediscover the celebrative aspects of life. We need to revisit our understanding of “the abundant life” Jesus promised. The Bible breathes a spirit of joy that is so lacking in our behavior as Christians. Jesus embodied joy and the New Testament makes more references to joy than to all of sadness, weeping, mourning, anguish, anger and distress put together.

In the Old Testament, both mourning and dancing took physical form from the sways and rolls of lament to the joyful bursts of dance. The Psalmist echoes the relationship between joy and dance in proclaiming, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psa. 30:11-12).

Ashamed and Uncomfortable?

In his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala tells the story of a soloist at Brooklyn Tabernacle. She was invited to sing at a church and was told in advance, “We want to ask you not to sing any song that mentions the blood of Christ. People feel uncomfortable with that, and our goal here is to be user-friendly.”

Uncomfortable about the blood of Christ? Today, many churches even find the frequent observance of the ordinance of remembering the death of Christ in communion to be a distraction in their up-beat worship services. Some churches even relegate the practice of believers’ baptism, with its symbolism to the cross, to a private adjunct activity, following a main service.

To be honest, we want a happy Christianity, without symbolic reminders of sin. A Christianity with minimal need of reflection. The cross invites us to reflect on the heinousness of sin and the heavy price Jesus paid for it. Forgiveness of sin is not amnesty. Forgiveness is possible because Someone paid the price for sin - death on a cross.

As an atheist, the late Christopher Hitchens could not accept this Christian doctrine. On one occasion he said, “I find something repulsive about the idea of vicarious redemption – you can throw your sins onto somebody else, vulgarly known as scapegoating.” Hitchens understood the message of the cross, but he was not prepared to embrace it.

The cross of Jesus Christ differentiates Christian faith from religion in general. Religion tells us what we must do in order to achieve forgiveness. Christianity insists that forgiveness has already been paid for on the cross. Paul contended, whereas Jews demanded miraculous signs and non-Jews (Greeks) looked for wisdom, he preached Christ crucified – a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to non-Jews.

As a matter of fact, Paul argued that God’s power was evident in the cross of Christ. Whereas others depended on oratorical skills and philosophy to make an impact; for him, it was the cross of Christ that enshrined the power to make an impact. To the Corinthians Paul said, “When I came to you...I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). He was convinced that what others considered foolishness, was God’s demonstration of power.

In addition, whereas we view death as coming to the end of the road, God viewed the death of Jesus as the beginning. But why would God use the horrific death of Jesus on a cross to bring new life? Paul provides two answers. The first, no one other than God could get the credit. Absolutely no one could bring new life from death – that is a demonstration of divine power. Paul’s second reason is that no one can boast about what he or she accomplished. The truth is, new life in Christ cannot be acquired by any human effort.

The Bible calls this grace – undeserved favor. In one of his letters, Paul said, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8).

But couldn’t God have accomplished grace by some other means, probably, not as severe as the cross? The logic is simple – punishment must be commensurate with the crime. Because of the severity of sin, severe punishment was inevitable. Hence, the worst sinner could find God’s grace, because of the cross.

Furthermore, if we could have paid for our sin, then what would happen to those who could not afford to pay? Also, if we could have paid for our sin, we could boast about our ability to help ourselves. Because of the cross, such boasting is not possible, in that new life in Christ is a gift. Since it is free, one may ask, wouldn’t it then cheapen the gift? The question implies that my contribution increases the value of God’s gift – ludicrous thinking.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul argued that any attempt to add to what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, nullifies the value of the gift – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:8)!

The 17th century hymn-writer Isaac Watts got it when he wrote: “Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.” This Easter season might be a good time to return to the words of Fanny Crosby’s hymn, “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross”, or Elizabeth Clephane, who in 1872 wrote “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”.

There is no user-friendly version of the Gospel. Without the cross, we are presenting another gospel, not the one God offers to anyone who seeks Him. Like Paul, I contend, “I am not ashamed of the gospel...” I further contend that the cross is still the best antidote to the narcissism and violence in our culture today.

Carnival in Trinidad

A few days ago my wife and I hosted two brothers from Trinidad. They were both returning to their homes in the United States after participating in carnival in Trinidad. Our discussions included an analysis of carnival. We reflected on the history of the festival and its impact on the soul of the nation.

According to the National Library and Information System Authority, “carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is one of grandeur, color, revelry, rhythm, and gaiety. It is truly an all-inclusive national festival. It is by far the most spectacular event on the nation’s calendar.”

There is no theatrical event that can mobilize mass-participation in any Caribbean island as carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is able to do. It is believed that as many as 15% of the 1 ½ million residents, actively participate in carnival. Months of planning and competition culminate in two days of glitter and dance. The creativity reflected in costumes is unparalleled in the Caribbean. The rhythm of calypso music and the unique contribution of the steelpan combine to present one of the greatest theatrical shows on earth.

Apart from the opportunities to be creative, some believe, carnival brings emotional relief to many persons. According to Darryl Barrow (Caribbean Journal of Religious Studies), “There are many people who regard carnival as a good escape releaser. People have been experiencing stress, strain and certain inhibitions – carnival allows people to release their pent-up energies and desires.”

Interestingly, what Barrow sees as an asset in carnival, Ismith Khan, in The Obeah Man, sees as symptoms of deep-seated social malaise. There seems to be an underlying irony of the carnival spirit. Derek Walcott may well be alluding to this in his poem Mass Man. Here Walcott exposes carnival as a kind of sham behind which we may discover images of pain and despair.

While living in Trinidad, I heard much of this pain reflected in calypsos. Whereas one can choose to focus on calypso as a work of art, and glory in the calypsonian’s ability, the reality of what is communicated cannot be ignored. Pain is too often trivialized in order to solicit laughter. To use frivolity as a coping device for pain can be compared with using Band-Aid to relieve cancer.

The increasing use of alcohol during carnival may also be another coping device as well as a vital part of entertainment. This excessive use of alcohol is compounded by an upsurge of unwanted pregnancies and increasing incidents of sexually transmitted diseases.

In light of this, it is not enough to rejoice in the creative opportunities carnival brings and ignore the social price the nation is force to pay. When asked about this anomaly, one popular calypsonian told his interviewer that he was an entertainer and not a pastor. In essence, his role was to ensure laughter, not serious reflection.

Ash Wednesday, the day following two days of carnival, is no laughing matter. The abandoned costumes, piles of debris and inebriated bodies, paint a picture of gloom, so unlike the picture of laughter that prevailed hours earlier. When added to the cases of marital unfaithfulness, unwanted pregnancies and sordid list of social evils, one is left to ask - is this the price a small nation should pay for joy?

This quest for joy is not limited to carnival in the twin-island republic. Similar festivals in Latin American countries pursue the same outcomes. Both in Trinidad & Tobago and in Latin America, there is a strong Roman Catholic association with carnival.

The festival is routinely celebrated on the eve of Lent – a period characterized by prayers and much abstinence. It would seem then, that the observance of carnival was intended to serve as a last fling, before the holy season of reflection. In Catholic tradition, Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head.

The events of Ash Wednesday would suggest that participating in carnival is sinful and therefore requires forgiveness and penitence. But is this religious ritual enough to bring about forgiveness?

Some evangelicals would contend that a personal faith in Christ often leads to a disinterest in carnival. Stories of conversion from former carnival enthusiasts would seem to suggest that their conversion resulted in new interests and different expressions of joy.

Some believe this new way of living is what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Corinthians. He said, “... anyone united with the Messiah (Jesus) gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!” (The Message 2 Cor. 5:17).

The absence of carnival from the Christian worldview, leaves one with the need to find more appropriate ways to express joy. Ways that do not require alcohol to sustain or stimulate joy. Ways that will utilize creativity, melody, movement and glitter. Honestly, we’ve got some work to do.

Bisexual or Convert?

Recently I was reading the story of a woman who converted to Christianity. She was gay and discontinued the practice upon converting. Today she is happily married with four children. In responding to the story, one columnist suggested that she did not abandon homosexuality because of her conversion. Rather, she was living out her bisexual preference.

According the Bisexual Resource Center in Boston, “bisexuality is the potential to feel sexually attracted to and engage in sensual or sexual relationships with people of either sex." Interestingly, there are several theories about different models of bisexual behavior. J. R. Little is a psychologist whose extensive research identified at least 13 types of bisexuality.

However, none of Professor Little’s categories defined the experience of former leftist lesbian professor Dr. Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. Did Professor Butterfield transition to heterosexuality because she was bisexual, or because of conversion?  

As a professor of English and Women’s Studies at Syracuse University, on the track to becoming a tenured radical, Dr. Butterfield cared about morality, justice and compassion. In her book, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, she says, “I used my post (as a professor) to advance the understandable allegiances of a leftist lesbian professor. My life was happy, meaningful and full. My partner and I shared many vital interests: AIDS activism, children’s health and literacy and our Unitarian Universalist church, to name a few.”

“I began researching the Religious Right and their politics of hatred against queers like me. To do this, I would need to read the one book that had, in my estimation, gotten so many people off track – the Bible. While on the lookout for some Bible scholar to aid me in my research, in 1997 I launched my first attack on the unholy trinity of Jesus, Republican politics and patriarchy, in the form of an article in the local newspaper about Promise Keepers.”

According to Dr. Butterfield, “the article generated many rejoinders, so many that I kept a Xerox box on each side of my desk – one for hate mail, and the other for fan mail. But one letter I received defied my filing system. It was from the pastor of the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church. It was a kind of inquiring letter. Ken Smith encouraged me to explore the kind of questions I admire – How did you arrive at your interpretations? How do you know you are right? Do you believe in God? Ken didn’t argue with my article; rather, he asked me to defend the presuppositions that undergirded it. I didn’t know how to respond to it, so I threw it away.”

“Later that night, I fished it out of the recycling bin and put it back on my desk, where it stared at me for a week. As a postmodern intellectual, I operated from a historical materialist worldview... Ken’s letter punctured the integrity of my research project without him knowing it.”

“With the letter, Ken initiated two years of bringing the church to me, a heathen...He did not mock me. He engaged. So when his letter invited me to get together for dinner, I accepted. My motives at the time were straightforward – surely this will be good for my research.”

“Something else happened. Ken, his wife Floy, and I became friends. They entered my world. They met my friends. We talked openly about sexuality and politics. When we ate together, Ken prayed in a way I had never heard before. His prayers were intimate. He repented of his sin in front of me. He thanked God for all things. Ken’s God was holy and firm, yet full of mercy. And because Ken and Floy did not invite me to church, I knew it was safe to be friends.” 

Dr. Butterfield started reading the Bible. “I read the way a glutton devours. I read it many times that first year in multiple translations...I continued reading the Bible, all the while fighting the idea that it was inspired...It overflowed into my world. I fought against it with all my might. Then, one Sunday morning, I rose from the bed of my lesbian lover, and an hour later sat in a pew at the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church. Conspicuous with my butch haircut, I reminded myself that I came to meet God, not fit in.”

Then, “one ordinary day, I came to Jesus, openhanded and naked...Ken was there. Floy was there. The church that had been praying for me for years was there. Jesus triumphed. And I was a broken mess...the voice of God sang a sanguine love song in the rubble of my world. I weakly believed that if Jesus could conquer death, he could make right my world. I drank, tentatively at first, then passionately, of the solace of the Holy Spirit. I rested in private peace, then community, and today in the shelter of a covenant family, where one calls me “wife” and many call me “mother”.”

Dr. Butterfield’s story reminds me of the words of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians. He was itemizing specific negative behaviors with which they were identified. With clarity he stated, “...and that is what some of you were, but you were washed...” (1 Cor. 6:11). This statement was not a description of bisexualism. Like Dr. Butterfield’s story, it was a statement of conversion and its effect on behavior.

MLK & Non-Violence

By 2006, some 730 American cities had a street named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, the records at the National Center for Education Statistics (2000) indicate that by 1998, 110 public schools were bearing some reference to Dr. King’s name. Each of these communities, mainly in central cities of large and mid-size urban areas, had hoped that residents would feel obligated to live out the noble tenets of Dr. King.

It was hoped that many persons would emulate the six-point non-violent philosophy adopted by Dr. King. As a student of the New Testament, Dr. King was familiar with the non-violent teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. In addition, he was familiar with the non-violent practices of Mahatma Gandhi of India. That knowledge became the basis of his philosophy.

In the first place, King believed that non-violent resistance was not for cowards. It was not a quiet, passive acceptance of evil. One was passive and non-violent physically, but very active spiritually, always seeking ways to persuade the opponent of advantages to the way of love, cooperation and peace.

Secondly, the goal of non-violence was not to defeat or humiliate the opponent but rather to win him or her over to understanding new ways to create cooperation and community.

In the third place, non-violence was viewed as the force that was attacking evil. As Dr. King said in Montgomery, Alabama, “we are out to defeat injustice, not white persons who may be unjust.”

In addition, non-violence accepted suffering without retaliating. It accepted violence, but never commit violence. It was Gandhi who contended that “Rivers of blood may have to flow before we gain our freedom, but it must be our blood.” Both King and Gandhi understood that suffering by activists had the mysterious power of converting opponents, who otherwise would refuse to listen.

In addition, in non-violent resistance, one learns to avoid physical violence toward others and also learns to love the opponents with unconditional love – a love that does not depend on what it receives in return, but acts solely for the sake of love. According to Dr. King, “along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate.” 

Finally, non-violent resistance was based on the belief that the universe is just. There is God that was moving us toward universal love and wholeness. Therefore, “all our work for justice will bear fruit – the fruit of love, peace and justice for all beings everywhere.”

One would have hoped that with such a rich legacy of non-violence, especially within black communities, there would be a greater appreciation for the ideals of Dr. King. Even with the numerous institutions carrying King’s name, the high levels of violence in black communities is unacceptable.

A 2007 special report released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics reveals that more than 8,000 African-Americans are murdered annually in the United States. This chilling figure is accompanied by another equally sobering fact that 93% of these murders are perpetrated by other blacks. In other words, in one year more blacks are killed in America than service men and women killed on the battle fields of Iraq and Afghanistan in twelve years.  

Whereas the statistics of killings are sobering, the number of violent crimes is frightening. Apart from the impact on the victims, we often forget the impact on the community. Last December, the Department of Justice released a little-noticed report that suggested that children exposed to community violence might turn to violence themselves as “a source of power, prestige, security, or even belongingness.” The report went on to recommend that these children should be treated by professionals.
Rather than resort only to professionals who often live far away from the crime communities, what about Christian churches located in the heart of those communities? Despite the silence from the media, stories of conversion continue to come from pastors and Christian workers. They are not only conducting funeral services for the victims of crime, many churches are witnessing genuine stories of conversion.

The non-violent vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is still alive in many churches as criminals turn from drugs and guns to a transforming faith in Jesus Christ. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote with confidence that conversion brings about change, old lifestyles fade and new desires emerge (2 Corinthians 5:17). For this reason we need to pray for Christian workers who risk their lives daily in taking the message of peace to our violent-torn cities. Thankfully, despite the reality of serious crime during this Black History Month, we have hope that Jesus still transforms broken lives.

Athlete Jeremy Lin…A MODEL OF SUCCESS

Prior to February 4, Jeremy Lin was unknown to sports fans around the world. Three weeks later he is a household name and a tremendous asset to the New York Knicks for which he plays basketball. The undrafted Harvard graduate rose to prominence with a fantastic game against the New Jersey Nets.

Since that game, Lin has led the New York Knicks to unbelievable records. He has also become the eighth ranked player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in Player Efficiency Rating, which attempts to determine a player’s value to his team. Lin lifted the Knicks back into the playoff hunt and has also put them back on television.

Since January 1, New Yorkers were unable to view the Knicks play basketball. A heated dispute over fees between the owners of the team and a cable company kept the Knicks in the dark. Then Jeremy Lin came on the scene. New Yorkers demanded a resolution. NBA Commissioner David Stern joined the chorus. Even New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called executives in the dispute to bring about some resolution. According to the Associated Press, “Lin’s phenomenal run forced the deal.”

Stocks for the Madison Square Garden Company, the firm which owns the Knicks, increased more than 11% since Lin scored 25 points in that February 4 game. Marketing giant Nike has had tremendous success selling Linsanity (Jeremy Lin) T-shirts. Within 72 hours, an ebook on Linsanity was on sale. According to the Wall Street Journal, Adidas, one of Nike’s biggest competitors, is planning to produce Lin-themed jerseys for a network of more than 6,000 stores in China.

Lin jerseys have been the top-selling jerseys at NBAStore.com since that early February game. Jerseys have been shipped to at least 23 countries, including China. Lin is the first US-born player in the NBA of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage. The growing interest in Lin among Asian-Americans and millions around the world has resulted in a 550% increase in traffic to the Knicks website between February 5 and February 12.

LIN CLAIMS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

My real interest in the Jeremy Lin story is simple – he claims to be a born-again believer. One reporter got it right when he said, “In addition to his success on the court, Lin has become famous for being both an Asian-American and a devout Christian.” As a Christian, Lin has often credited his success in the NBA to God. While a student at Harvard University, Lin actually led a Bible study among his fellow students and frequently gave interviews to campus Christian publications.

Some have noticed the bright orange bracelet Lin wears during his games. The words “In Jesus’ Name I Play” are printed clearly on each bracelet. According to Active Faith, the Texas company which makes the band, “thousands of orders from all over the world have come in overnight – our web server crashed a couple of times, it just couldn’t handle the amount of traffic.”

The importance of Jeremy Lin’s faith has attracted much press. One CNN headline reads: “Jeremy Lin Emerges as Emblem of Burgeoning Asian-American Christianity.” In this article, Lin, in response to this sudden popularity, said “It’s a tough environment and if you don’t have appropriate boundaries, you’ll compromise your faith.”

LIN APPEALS FOR HELP

When Lin reached out to his pastor for counsel, he was advised to spend at least an hour a day with God. According to his pastor, Stephen Chen of the Church in Christ at Mountain View, California, Lin now memorizes a few Bible verses consistently. Recently, Lin memorized Romans 5:3-4 (“We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”).

Lin, who has said he may become a pastor someday, credits his rise as a professional athlete to understanding the way God was working in his life and developing a trust in God’s plan. Recently he told the San Jose Mercury News, “I’ve surrendered that to God. I’m not in a battle with what everybody else thinks anymore.”

Jeremy Lin is one of the more recent basketball players to make his commitment to Jesus very clear. Among other basketball heroes are David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs), A.C. Green and Kevin Johnson (Phoenix Suns). In each case, it was the athlete’s excellence on the field that provided opportunities for ministry.

Lin, an admirer of Tim Tebow (who we featured a few weeks ago), admitted to a reporter that faith and fame often fight – “but it’s one I’m going to keep fighting.”

Like Jeremy Lin, it is only when we set “appropriate boundaries” in our pursuit of excellence; we avoid the temptations to compromise our faith.

TIM TEBOW: My Most Valuable Player

Although Tim Tebow is not expected to be named among MVP candidates in the 2011 National Football League, he is my MVP (Most Valuable Player). As a quarterback for the Denver Broncos, he could not compare statistically with other quarterbacks in the league. However during the season, Tebow was named America’s favorite active pro athlete in an ESPN fan-based poll. Interestingly, that poll included the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tiger Woods.  

In analyzing Tebow’s contribution to football, one should not limit one’s analysis to his two seasons with the Broncos. In his final year at Nease High School in Florida, he was ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a high school senior. He attended the University of Florida and was responsible for helping the football team to national championships. During the 2007 season, Tebow became the first college sophomore to win the prized Heisman Trophy. At the end of his college career, he was rated as one of the most accomplished players in college football history.

Despite his achievements on the field, many disliked Tim Tebow. Some claim his style of play and throwing accuracy would not get him anywhere in professional football. His first season with the Broncos was not impressive. Out of five games in the second season, his team had won one, when he was invited to play as a starting quarterback. His presence was responsible for a remarkable turn around for the team. A survey of more than 1,000 persons by Atlanta-based Poll Position, found that 43% of those who said they were aware of Tebow’s success, believe it was at least partly the result of divine intervention.

Tebow’s habit of kneeling in prayer on the sideline of the field, during games, allowed his faith to become a public display. In post-game meetings with the media, Tebow unashamedly expressed his thanks to God for affording him the opportunity to be an ambassador for Christ on the field. Although a novelty to many in professional football, Tebow was known for public displays of his faith in high school and throughout his college career.

His public kneeling, now known globally as ‘Tebowing’, along with other displays of faith on and off the field have impressed and disturbed many. Some commentators have used some of the most vitriolic and venomous language to describe him. The viciousness in the media has led many to believe that the problem is more about Tebow’s lifestyle choices than about football.

Tebow has just begun his career as a professional footballer. Other beginners have been given time to develop and excel as professionals, why can’t similar treatment be extended to Tebow?

Some dislike Tebow because of envy. In his short stint as a professional, his marketability has soared. For a while his jerseys were the number one seller in the National Football League. The Davie-Brown Index, an independent marketing research tool, found Tebow to be more appealing and more of a trendsetter than some 2011 NFL-MVP candidates. 

His philanthropy combined with his national awards make him an easy choice for companies. At an event in Nashville (2010), Tebow confirmed that multiple companies told him before his pro-life Super Bowl advertisement for Focus on the Family, that they could not let him represent their products. According to Tebow, “losing such sponsors was a small price to pay for the ability to spread the message about family and faith.” He told his Nashville audience, “be willing to stand alone and to stand for something; to live life with passion; and to finish strong.”

Just before each football game, when most pro-athletes are tense and ignore team-mates and family members, Tebow makes it a point to visit with some who are less fortunate. At his own expense, he pays airfares for some less fortunate fans and their families to meet with him. He pays for their hotel and meals, gets them pre-game passes and visits with them before and after games.

Raised by Christian missionary parents, Tebow has for years said that football is simply “a platform” for bigger things. One of those bigger things is the Tim Tebow Foundation. According to the Foundation’s president, Erik Dellenback, “before the Broncos’ first playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Foundation had 100 members, within two days after Tebow’s team won, the membership grew to 4,000 members.” Dellenback further disclosed to The Huffington Post, that “Tebow pays all of the foundation staff and administrative costs, so that all donations go to the outreach efforts.”

According to The Christian Science Monitor, “charity appears to be central to Tebow’s character and his life, not an extra or an activity incidental to his football career.” It is for these and other reasons (like the hospital he is building in the Philippines); Tim Tebow is My Most Valuable Player.

GREAT COMMISSION: Evangelism or Proselytism?

Christianity is a missionary religion. It needs converts to survive. Whereas membership in some religions is dependent on birth, Christianity depends on belief. Believers are called converts.

Traditionally, the process of seeking converts is called evangelism. For Christians, evangelism is not an optional novelty, it is a biblical mandate. Very early in His ministry, Jesus sent out His disciples in groups of twos (Mark 6:7). In what has come to be known as The Great Commission, Jesus literally commanded His disciples to “make disciples” as they were going into the world (Matthew 28:19).

The disciples of Jesus understood this mandate and evangelized their world. Actually, within forty days of His resurrection, more than 500 converts assembled to hear their Master teach (1 Corinthians 15:6). We can only assume that smaller groups of converts gathered to hear Him. One such group of 120 persons met shortly after His ascension (Acts 1:15).

Fifty days following the resurrection of Jesus, the rate of converts to Christianity was phenomenal. Luke tells the story in the book of Acts. Here he records the first 35 years of church history and clearly identifies patterns of growth among converts, as a result of evangelism:

ACTS 2:41

“…about 3,000 were added to their number that day.”

ACTS 4:3-5

“But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about 5,000”

ACTS 5:14

“Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added.”

In response to this rapid growth of converts, the High Priest in the Jewish Sanhedrin declared, “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching…”

(Acts 5:28).

The pattern of growth increased following the conversion of Paul, some three years after the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 9). Actually, within the first 30 years of Jesus’ commission, all the main cities of the Mediterranean had converts.

Today, some 2,000 years later, the conversion rate continues to increase around the world. About 33% of the world’s seven billion people claim to be converts to Christianity.

The response to this phenomenal growth has always made opponents to Christianity uncomfortable. The history of objection has resulted in torture, various forms of persecution and death. Within recent years, more developed countries have resorted to more sophisticated methods to dissuade conversions to Christianity.

In today’s post-modern world, it is not unusual to hear Christian evangelism being referred to as proselytism. The connotations of proselytism are often negative and used to describe attempts to force people to convert from one tradition to another. Historically, Jews used the term to describe a non-Jew who converted to Judaism.   

Whereas proselytism implies, an obligation to convert, evangelism is different. Etymologically, evangelism comes from two Greek words, meaning good and message/news. The focus is on the content of the message and not the response of the hearer. Hence, evangelism is sometimes defined as the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold to those beliefs.  

Evangelism anticipates one of three responses to the message – delay, rejection or acceptance. Jesus got these responses and told His disciples to expect similar responses. Paul experienced each of those responses following his address in Athens – “some of them sneered…others, we’ll hear you again… and a few became followers…” (Acts 17:32-34).

Are Christians then guilty of proselytism? In the process of doing evangelism, some are guilty of proselytism. We are called to evangelize - in the process, God will do the converting. Thankfully, we will be rewarded for faithfulness as witnesses or evangelists. Hearers are responsible for their response to the Good News.