By Brad Locke
January 30, 2004

(AgapePress) - For all the great preaching, for all the incisive teaching, for all the compassionate witnessing, the world still chooses to define Christians by their weakest brethren. Especially when those brothers have a spotlight constantly trained on them.

Athletes, of course, have their every word and deed scrutinized by a media quick to tear down what they just as quickly built up. Athletes make that task easier when they break laws or otherwise defy authority. The media's favorite way to attack an athlete's character, though, is by belittling his intelligence or beliefs, particularly when it's a Christian athlete. And all too often, the Christian athlete is a hapless victim, felled by his own bad theology.

It happened to Isaac Bruce. The St. Louis Rams receiver, talking about his game-winning catch in Super Bowl XXXIV, said, "That was all God. I knew I had to make an adjustment on the ball, and God did the rest."

Seizing on this flawed reasoning, Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly went on to ask Bruce about a recent car accident he'd had. Bruce's vehicle had flipped several times, but he walked away unscathed because, as he claimed, he invoked Jesus' name during the tumble.

Reilly then asked Bruce if golfer Payne Stewart, a Christian, would have survived his plane crash had he done the same, to which Bruce replied, "Oh, definitely." Reilly also asked him about another Christian athlete, Kansas City linebacker Derrick Thomas, who would soon after die from injuries sustained in a wreck, and about the Columbine High student who was shot after affirming to the killers her belief in God. Reilly made Bruce look like a pious idiot.

Worse than being ignorant, Bruce was mis-educated. Not to say that God didn't spare him for having such faith during a perilous moment, but for Bruce to assume that yelling "Jesus!" was a surefire way for everyone to avoid tragedy was simply bad theology. As for his claim of divine intervention on that touchdown, it's like so many have correctly observed: God doesn't care who wins.

This is the crux of the problem. Athletes, like many infant Christians, believe God to be a cosmic convenience store where all the good things in life are readily available. And for pro athletes, they usually are, so these Christians become spoiled and come to expect grace by the truckload.

In 2001, New York Knicks guard Charlie Ward was roundly castigated when he said Jews were responsible for Jesus' death and that they persecuted Christians "every day." Part bad theology, part bad reporting. Jews were physically responsible for putting Jesus on that cross 2,000 years ago, but every human who's ever lived nailed him there with their sin. Ward tried to clear up the persecution comment, saying he was referring to Jews condemning family members who'd converted to Christianity.

These are just two of countless examples of Christian athletes misrepresenting not only God's truth, but the beliefs of most Christians. Quite predictably, the media uses these instances to dismiss Christians as a whole as ignorant, bigoted extremists. By shooting the messengers, they don't have to deal with God's incontrovertible truths.

This motivation led to the criticism of legendary defensive lineman Reggie White, an ordained minister who went before the Wisconsin legislature in 1998 and said -- in regards to homosexuals aligning their struggle for "equality" with the civil rights movement -- "Homosexuality is a decision, not a race."

White was called ignorant, bigoted, extremist, etc., the usual litany of brainless insults used to describe anyone daring to declare God's truth in a public forum. It kept him from getting an analyst job on CBS (what his views on homosexuality had to do with stunts and blitzes, I have no idea). The more intelligent of his critics simply disagreed with him but defended his right to express his viewpoint. White thus proved that sound theology alienates a lot fewer people than bad theology.

He also proved how vital it is for Christian athletes to be knowledgeable about their faith. They have a great opportunity to impact thousands for Christ, but they're also capable of souring just as many on the idea of Christianity. Like any member of the body of Christ, athletes must be discipled and steeped in biblical truth. Given their status, they need it in spades.

When an athlete displays amazing prowess on the field of play, we expect him to be just as capable in matters of real life. In some regards he may be, but rarely to the extent we think he is. If a guy can throw the ball 50 yards with pinpoint accuracy, it doesn't mean he has business savvy, social skills or, in the case of a Christian, spiritual depth.

Pete Metzelaars, a retired tight end who scored the first touchdown in Carolina Panthers franchise history, told the Charlotte Observer recently that he celebrated that occasion just like all his other touchdowns: by taking a knee and praying, "Lord, thanks for letting me play this game. Thanks for just giving me the opportunity to be 6-8 and 250 and play a kid's game for 16 years."

Metzelaars appreciated the opportunity he had. Other Christian athletes need to do the same.