Wednesday, February 15, 2012

NBA's Lin Thanks Jesus, without Tebow-like Scorn

The latest professional sports superstar/hero, New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin, electrifies fans with his basketball abilities, and even as he publicly praises his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, he does NOT generate public hatred like the reaction to NFL quarterback Tim Tebow's public displays of Christian faith. Why not?
"There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now -- to try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But that's not how I want to do things anymore. I'm thinking about how can I trust God more. How can I surrender more? How can I bring him more glory?
-- Jeremy Lin

“He’s going to be a natural spokesperson for the Christian faith and we just hope he does it well.”
-- John Kim of New York
Actually, few mainstream media sources publish Lin's Christian expression.

For background, read Christian Quarterback Brings NFL to its Knees (Tebowing) and also read Media Craze: Quarterback Tebow's Christian Faith





-- From "From the Pulpit and in the Pew, the Knicks’ Lin Is a Welcome Inspiration" by Tim Stelloh and Noah Rosenberg, New York Times 2/12/12

. . . By Sunday, the story of Lin, a committed Christian, had worked its way into church services — notably those in New York with large numbers of Asian-American congregants.

The children of Asian immigrants, like Lin, account for a sizable part of the explosion of theologically conservative churches — catering largely to young, college-educated professionals — in New York City. Many attend what might be labeled second-generation Asian-American churches that have spun off from congregations with worship services in Chinese or Korean.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "The Secret of Jeremy Lin's Success?" by Robert Wright, The Atlantic 12/14/12

Jeremy Lin is on the verge of becoming the Tim Tebow of basketball. I don't mean that he's a devout Christian who is suddenly showing a remarkable ability to guide his team to victory--though he is that. I mean that the story of this New York Knicks point guard is moving beyond the world of sports fans into the culture at large.

What gives this story legs is that (1) Lin graduated from Harvard, whose basketball program has never been dubbed "gateway to the NBA," and (2) he is Asian-American.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Jeremy Lin says faith in God triggered 'Lin-sanity'" by Marcus Thompson II, Mercury News 2/13/12

"Sometimes you come up against a mountain and you end up making the mountain seem bigger than God," said Lin, who spoke with this newspaper via phone on the condition that questions be limited to the issue of his spirituality.

His devout Christianity, bred at the Chinese Church in Christ in Mountain View, has been his guide since he was young. But Lin admits these last few months were a test unlike any before.

"In high school, a few of us were known to party on Friday nights after the games. Jeremy was known for teaching the bible to kids and spending time with his family," said his Palo Alto High teammate Brad Lehman. "None of the usual distractions were an issue for him."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Asian-American NBA Star Becomes Latest Christian Role Model" by Dave Bohon, The New American 2/15/12

Move over Tim Tebow. There’s another squeaky clean professional athlete breaking out of the pack to inspire sports fans of all ages. . . .

Like Tim Tebow, Lin’s Christian faith is more than mere posturing for the media and fans. In an interview during his senior year at Harvard, he recalled that while he grew up in a Bible believing church, “I didn’t really become a Christian until I was a freshman in high school. That’s when the gospel really started to make sense to me and I was ready to give my life to God.”

He added that “Christianity didn’t become a significant part of my approach to basketball until the end of my high school career and into college. That’s when I began to learn what it means to play for the glory of God.”

“… I just tried to hold on to a lot of the stuff in the Bible that God gives to trust, have joy in the sufferings, and trust in His perfect plan. That’s what I tried my best to do and I’m thankful the way things turned out.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.



Lin appears on radar screen 2/4/12 (thanks God in post-game interview):