Glorifying God On A Worldly Platform. By. C.C.

North American sports media has recently been focused on a young man named Tim Tebow. Beyond his talent, Tim's faith has caught the attention of many around the world. Tim proudly shows his devotion to the Lord on the football field by bending a knee and giving thanks. This action referred to as the "T-Bow" now defines the way in which Tim publicly expresses his faithfulness. The T-Bow has caused a media frenzy and also opened up the flood gates of criticism. There is so much to be learned as a Christian through witnessing this silent act of evangelization. St. Francis of Assisi(another one of my favourite Saints) said “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” It is through this simple silent gesture that Tim Tebow has made a rather loud statement. It is an opportunity for us to look inwardly and ask ourselves how we preach the Gospel beyond words, and if we use our worldly positions to glorify the Lord. I am by no means claiming to be a master of this. I too am on this journey of attempting to express my faith beyond the church environment and into my day to day life. As we each continue to grow in our faith we will hopefully find ourselves becoming more confident in who we are in Christ and truly be the light that the Lord calls us to be. While reflecting on Tim Tebow, another young man came to my mind. Philip Rivers is also an NFL football player and one who has been an incredible role model for many. Rivers is also a mighty Catholic! Recently I was fortunate enough to stumble upon something written on him by Fr. Ray Suriani in which he shared many things about Rivers' Catholic faith and the way in which he uses his life in the spotlight as a platform to glorify God and his strong devotion. Rivers has become a wonderful leader for the youth to which he openly shares a commitment to his Catholic identity, chastity, and a passion for faith which exceeds his love of football. One may be wondering why I have chosen to write about two male athletes and speak of their roles in glorifying God. I have done so because these men serve as an example of living as God intended, even while walking through the temptations, demands, and duties of this world. The professional football environment and many other worldly environments are plagued with temptations which can make it even more of a challenge to stay committed to faith. However, it is a true testament of devotion when we hear of people such as Rivers and Tebow who glorify God through what they do. Much can be learned through these two men. Arguably, many of us battle with our daily commitments to faith. Some of you may walk into various environments which do not seem to be very welcoming of our beliefs. It may be a challenge to glorify God when we feel that the very mention of His name will result in shame. However, we must be strong! We must persevere and recognize that our ways of glorifying God exceed our words and are communicated in our dealings with others, and our actions. Lord today I pray for each of us to have the strength, courage, and faith to always do Your will. May we recognize the power of Your love and presence in every place that we find ourselves. Lord let us look towards those who glorify You each day with admiration. Lead us to people who share our faith so that we can work together for Your good. Lord we are called to live in community here on earth and it is often difficult when we are faced with things that are not of You. Give us the strength to persevere through this and not give in to temptation. Give us the courage to make Christ like decisions in our daily dealings. May our words, actions, thoughts, and feelings be guided by Your ways. Lord bless Tim Tebow, Philip Rivers, and many others who use their worldly platform and fame to glorify You. May you forever guard and protect them with the "armor of Christ". Lord show us the ways that we too are called to glorify You..give us the clarity to see how we can each use our worldly platforms as a means of reflecting Your greatness. Amen (C.C.)