'Sports Illustrated' Huddles With Tim Tebow for Faith-Focused Article

Tim Tebow is on the cover of Sports Illustrated again (after three times last season), but this time it's not because of his football feats. The July 27 issue of the historic sports magazine focuses primarily on the University of Florida QB's exploits off the field, specifically his work as a missionary. He is labeled on the cover as "Man of Many Missions."

The article, by senior SI writer Austin Murphy, is shockingly open about the beliefs and faith of the senior quarterback, who Murphy calls "the most effective ambassador-warrior for his faith I've come across in 25 years at SI." This week, instead of reading about broken tackles, Sports Illustrated fans will be reading about broken inmates who have responded to Tebow's message of redemption.

It's quite remarkable that a secular publication has devoted this much space to what amounts to a cover story about the gospel and the way Tebow is sharing it. Mandel writes about an impromptu player meeting before the NCAA national championship game that ended up breaking into prayer and song. He writes about how Sunday services for Florida players used to attract three or four guys, but now the room is full. He writes about the dramatic increase in charitable hours from players on the team.

He even writes a verbatim quote of Tebow's gospel message to prison inmates: "'If you were to die right now, where would you be?' By which he means, in which direction would your soul be headed? 'For me,' he says, 'I have an answer to that question. I am one hundred percent certain I'm going to go to heaven because I have Jesus Christ in my life.'"

I have to say that I am proud of SI for writing an entire story that focuses on a good person in the world of sports and allows them to explain their faith without watering it down. It's easy to focus on the Michael Vicks of the world and how bad things can get in sports, so it's really awesome to see the magazine focus on the good. So often it gets thrown out in favor of the more controversial and popular topics.

But that's the other thing here that's really amazing: Tebow's faith is a popular topic. A lot of the time, athletes doing charity work fail to grab the attention of the public. But Tebow has managed to stand out to such a degree that he can merit this kind of attention. After the national championship game last year, 94 million people googled the verse that Tebow wore underneath his eyes. It's really a testimony to the way he has handled himself and to the ways God is using him.

What a pleasure to have him around college football and at the forefront of the nation's sports section for one more year.

Bad Headlines, Good God

I have to read a lot of news for my job, specifically news that relates to Christianity. This can be challenging sometimes. Take a look at some of the recent headlines that have popped up on the country's radar and you'll see why. Here are a few:

Jimmy Carter recently reiterated his decision to "resign his membership" in the Southern Baptist Convention. Carter disagrees with Baptists on a number of issues, specifically the role of women, and has acknowledged that he does not believe in the inerrancy of the Bible.

The Episcopal Church voted to allow the election of openly gay bishops nationally. I grew up in an Episcopal parish (although our congregation has severed ties with the national church), and it's truly sad to see how far from a biblical faith they have fallen.

A recent Barna survey revealed that homosexual and heterosexual Americans who refer to themselves as Christians differ very little in their beliefs. Wow.

I guess that's just what life is like in a "post-Christian society," which is what many are calling America now.

But the wonderful thing about Christianity is that, no matter how confusing or troubling the world outside gets, we have a simple and loving Savior to turn to. When I close the paper, I can open my Bible and find truth and wisdom. I can close my eyes and pray to my God, a God who is always in control, always understands and is always there.

As Jesus said in John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

What a blessing to have a God who is not only in control of the entire world but also available to each and every one of us on a personal basis. What a blessing to have a God who not only gives us truth but also gives us love and strength to face life again each day.

Finding the Middle Ground in Harry Potter's World

The always-controversial-for-Christians Harry Potter rears his disheveled head again this week with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth movie based on the best-selling book series of all time. (For our opinion of the film, check out the review in the second story below.)

By now, most people know what the book series is all about. Frankly, it's been hard to avoid for the last 12 years. The seven Harry Potter books have (so far) sold more than 400 million copies and been translated into more than 65 languages since the publication of the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in 1997.

But there still seems to be a lot of confusion and controversy in the Christian community about what to do with this hugely popular series.

Many among us continue to denounce the books as if they were written to corrupt all the children of the world. This reaction is understandable, since Harry and his friends make witchcraft look like a lot of fun to kids. And because there are real witches in the world, and they are not at all friendly to Christianity, the concerns and objections are obvious.

In recent years, many Christians have actually started to embrace the Harry Potter books and find ways to draw out all the Christian parallels they can. They say the magic and witchcraft is the same as novels that are considered "safe"—such as The Lord of the Rings or even The Chronicles of Narnia. They say the books' morals and imagery easily match up with Christianity.

Where does the truth lie in this cultural mess? As usual, it's somewhere in the middle.

For those of you who have never read them, the Potter books certainly do support Judeo-Christian morals. They promote loyalty, humility, equality, compassion, sacrifice and, above all else, love. They shun pride, self-seeking, jealousy, greed and hate. If they're outfitted with such a good moral compass, then shouldn't we embrace them, as many these days are saying we should?

I say no, but neither should we be afraid of them.

The trouble with comparing the fictional Potter world to Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings or Narnia in The Chronicles of Narnia is that the latter two worlds were created by devout Christians, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis respectively. The friendship between Tolkien and Lewis is legendary, and both men were known for their outstanding faith in Christ.

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, does not have the same outspoken belief about Christianity. As is typical nowadays, she tends to weave in a few things from a variety of faiths in her books, as she discusses in this article.

Without a Christian author to create it, the world in Harry Potter books doesn’t really hold up to theological scrutiny like something out of the world of Narnia. The lessons learned will be vague ones.

However, the series is also not something to be feared. There are some scary kids books out there. If you need something to steer away from, check out The Golden Compass series, which has many of the same trappings as The Lord of the Rings but is blatantly atheistic. Harry Potter has no such insidious designs.

As with all topics like this, it's best to decide for yourself. If your kids are into the Potter books, educate yourself. Read them yourself (they're actually superbly written) or at least learn what they're about. Then talk with your kids about them.

No piece of fiction—nothing written by mankind—is going to be flawless. No other writing but the Bible is or ever will be perfect, so we must put everything up against the test of Scripture. Teach your kids to do that, and they'll have a truth-based perspective no matter what they read.

Men Who Walk the Talk

One of the best parts about being a journalist is the interviews—you get to meet or talk with a variety of people. Last week I had the opportunity to talk with quarterback Kurt Warner. Kurt has two NFL MVPs and a Super Bowl ring, and he has helped countless people through his ministry. This week I got to talk with Mark Mynheir. Mark is a Florida homicide detective who has managed to write several successful Christian novels despite having severe dyslexia (look for his story in Monday’s edition of New Man.)

One thing that struck me about both Kurt and Mark was that, despite leading dramatically different lives, both men believe they are simply trying to do what God has called them to.

Kurt mentioned several times that football is just his job. He said the only reason he is so outspoken about his faith is that God has placed him in a high-profile position specifically for that reason. He gave God all the glory for giving him the amazing opportunity to be successful at football. In addition to expressing his faith publicly, Kurt also tries privately to be a good friend and share the gospel with his teammates as often as he can.

Similarly, Mark said the only reason he even attempted to write a novel was that God specifically called him to do it. At the time, he thought it was a crazy idea because he could barely read or write. Now, after publishing several novels, Mark gives all the credit and glory to God. In addition to his writing, Mark also tries to be as good a friend and Christian witness as he can be to his fellow police officers, who have a tough job.

One of the hallmarks of the recent men’s movement in America is the belief that God has called each man to a specific purpose and given each man a specific sphere of influence. The late Ed Cole, one of the fathers of the movement, often said that if every Christian man lived the life God called him to live, it could change the country.

I believe Kurt Warner and Mark Mynheir are shining examples of what can happen when men listen to God’s calling and obey. They live in entirely different worlds, but they are making the most of their opportunities to obey God within their spheres of influence.

After talking with them, I felt convicted to ask myself if I have been doing the same. Have I been a solid friend and witness to my co-workers? Have I been actively listening for God’s voice and letting Him give me a vision for what He can do in my life?

Have you? I’d love to hear from you about the ways you have tried to be a witness in your sphere of influence. E-mail me at "Walk the Talk" at newman@strang.com.

What My Hamster Taught Me About Sin

We almost lost a member of the Glazier family over the weekend. My wife and I are fine, but our little hamster, Polly, barely survived a harrowing adventure. It started when we left for a three-day trip to the beach. After we took off, Polly made an escape attempt worthy of Houdini.

Somehow she managed to chew halfway through her water bottle, used the subsequent leverage to pull it down through its hole, then placed the bottle on the wall to walk up it like a ramp. She's a clever rodent.

When we found her three days later, little Polly had traveled three rooms, navigated a sea of packed and unpacked boxes, climbed up a pair of paint cans stacked on top of each other, and leapt into a bathtub … which is where her epic journey ended. Unable to climb the smooth walls of the tub, Polly was forced to wait for us to come to her rescue.

When we found her, she was pretty pitiful. She had lost a lot of weight, and her fur was all matted. I've never seen her so happy to see us.

The ironic part about all this is that Polly's main hobby, apart from eating and running in a wheel, is trying to escape from her cage. Until now we have managed to foil her escape attempts, but during our trip she managed to make her dreams of escape and freedom a reality, only to find out that it's not so fun on the outside. The freedom to run around wherever she wanted turned into a big problem.

How many times have we guys faced that same dilemma? God has given us these rules to live by, and much like the walls of Polly's cage, they are there for a reason. He created life and designed it to be lived a certain way, and when we don't live it that way, it can be big trouble.

Of course, the sinful nature inside of us makes the other side of the wall seem so much more fun. We say things like, "Look at those guys getting drunk—they're having a blast," or "Just looking at this Web site for a sec won't hurt." It seems like a good idea at the time, but we all know where those roads lead … to being stuck at the bottom of a tub, so to speak.