FROM
THE PASTOR . . . 
Private Faith vs. Public Faith
From Rev. Michael Lashley, Pastor
Much
has been made recently of Tim Tebow and his faith. In case anyone has not heard,
Tim Tebow is the former quarterback for the Florida Gators and currently the
starter for the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Although his play at quarterback, along
with his leadership skills, has been instrumental in turning around a team whose
season looked lost earlier, that has not been what has grabbed the headlines;
instead, it’s been his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which he has made no
secret about.
Many of you have probably already been aware of this, and you have seen
the negative media backlash along with some other NFL players and even a few of
the Hollywood elite. I don’t know about you, but I have personally been
encouraged and challenged by Tebow’s faith despite persecution of various
sorts. Both my son John-Gabriel and I have prayed for him to stand strong amidst
the tide of opposition that has come, and likely will continue to come his way.
All of this raises another issue and points to a trend that is prevalent
in our society today: having a “private” faith vs. a “public” faith.
Much of the criticism leveled against Tebow is not so much that he is a
Christian (though for some that is undoubtedly a problem), but that he is vocal
about it in the public arena. Many take the approach which says, “I don’t
care if he’s a Christian or not, that’s his own personal business; but
don’t keep talking about it and publicizing it all over the TV and everywhere
else for the whole world to see. I’m tired of hearing about it. Stick to
playing football and leave your personal beliefs out of it.”
Indeed we live in a culture that increasingly attempts to marginalize
those who seek to spread their faith. Christianity is said to be a private
matter; what you believe is your own personal affair, and that’s fine, but
keep it to yourself.
We of course see this elsewhere: in politics, in the schools and
universities, and really most places where the marketplace of ideas comes
together. Those who oppose the Christian faith often seek not to discredit it
altogether; maybe they’ve realized too many people claim to follow Jesus for
that approach to still be effective (though many still try). Yet if they can get
Christ’s disciples to stay silent, that may be a way to stop its influence and
effectiveness in society. If it can be shown to be ineffective, then it can be
easily dismissed as irrelevant.
As Christians, we know that we have a mandate to spread the good news of Jesus Christ wherever He has placed us. We have a duty – and a privilege – to proclaim to the world the gospel that has saved us and has the power to transform the lives of everyone it touches. Jesus Christ WILL be glorified – He Himself says, in answering some Pharisees who said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples”: “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:39-40).
The world in opposition
to Christ would have us stay silent; we must not cater to their wishes. Although
we may not have the kind of platform that someone like Tim Tebow has in order to
be heard, we should not let that discourage us from being faithful to live out
the gospel and tell it to others even if we live in a small corner of the world.
If we have good news to share, let us not keep it to ourselves. “For the earth
will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover
the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
Michael
Lashley