Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin are the two biggest sports personalities of the year. It seems they have captured the imagination of the American people.

Jermey Lin has the fastest selling NBA jersey. During the NFL season Tim Tebow had the first or second fastest selling jersey for NFL players. What is it that makes them so popular?

Maybe, it’s the rags to riches story. Actually, it’s hard to think of it that way. After all, Tim Tebow won a Heisman trophy and Jeremy Lin led the Harvard Crimson to their best record ever. At the same time, no one really predicted stardom for either. The experts said that Tebow would never be an NFL quarterback. Lin wasnt even drafted, but here they are taking losing teams toward winning records.

Maybe it’s the fact the experts didn’t give either any chance at making it. Maybe we do all like the story of an underdog.

Or, maybe it’s something else.

Maybe it’s the fact that both are leaders who make the people around them better. Maybe they elevate the play of all their teammates. Maybe they are simply people that others want to follow.

Of, maybe it’s something different entirely. Maybe it’s the faith that is so evident in Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin. Maybe the American people really want heroes they can point their children to. Rather than being ashamed of the Gospel, maybe the American people are looking for believers who are not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16). Mayber for this reason more than another, the American people have made both of these young men real heroes and cultural icons–icons of the best kind.

And, maybe, just maybe, our neighbors want to see the same from us. Could it be that they want genuine and credible Christianity? Could it be they are looking for us to live out our faith on the playing fields of our neighborhoods and workplaces?

What can you do to make your faith real and credible?

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