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A while back ago I wrote a post railing against the Almighty. It was a dark time in the Luau household.
I was angry.
Bitter.
Lost.
Since then, I think I may have come around to the idea that god exists.
How else does one explain the phenomenon simply known as Tebow.
Here is a young man who, by all accounts, is exactly what he presents himself to be – a devout follower of Jesus who doesn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. For those who somehow have missed Tebow-mania, he is the 2nd year quarterback of the Denver Broncos, who, against all odds and lack of sound throwing mechanics, has managed to save the season of his team – the team started the football season 1 – 4; since taking over the starting job in Denver, he has led them an 8 – 5 record and has his team sitting in first place of their division.
That’s 7 – 1 as a starter – with poor throwing skills and a simplified offense. His performance during the first three quarters of each of his games has been dismal, I mean “you should bench this guy” dismal. Yet, somehow, at the end of almost each of these games, during the last minutes of regulation, Tebow is simply magic, dare I say, divine – enough so that his mid-contest prayers have led the Global Language Monitor (the online equivalent to Webster’s) to acknowledge Tebowing as a word – Tebowing, the act of ’taking a knee’ in prayerful reflection in the midst of an athletic activity.
But it hasn’t only been what Tebow does on the field – it’s the weird things that are happening to the opposing teams late in games. Defenses that were tight vises though 58 minutes, suddenly loosen over the final two minutes; offenses that simply need to kneel on the ball, run plays that leave time on the clock for Tebow to work his magic; fumbles; interceptions – all unlikely happenings in the final minutes of a game played by supposed professionals.
Yes, there are angels in the backfield and they are being led by the Mile High Messiah.
The thing is though, this doesn’t help me in my rant from so many weeks ago. The fact that “g”od is helping the Broncos win and propelling one of his favorite sons to victory only goes to solidify my doubt in “G”od.
While god lifts Tim Tebow, He continues to allow autism to torment my little girl and millions like her. While god helped Franco Harris catch the immaculate reception, He continues to allow savage acts of violence against the fairer sex, all in the name of religion. While god led Curt Shilling and his bloody sock to victory in game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, He allows disaster upon disaster to kill hundreds of thousands of innocents.
Maybe god really did make us in his image – sports fans who think the Red Sox winning the World Series after 86 years was a bigger event in 2004 than the election of our first African-American President.
And so Tim Tebow and god face their first real test this weekend when Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots travel to Mile High Stadium.
A win for the Broncos will only go to further Tebow’s messianic following, but a loss will, in my opinion, do him no damage – everybody knows that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are football deities in their own right.
Maybe the Greeks and Romans had it right.
What does this have to do with running? I’m not sure, except for maybe the fact that before my next race and maybe at one of the water stations of my next marathon, I’m going to Tebow and pray to Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher.
Run Luau Run 