Justin Taylor linked to this post by Erik Raymond. Stevie Johnson, a Buffalo Bills wide receiver, and his tweet are the talk of the town. Even one of our staff pastors’ mother told us about Stevie blaming God for dropping a game-winning touchdown pass! But there is only one problem… Stevie didn’t blame God, as clarified in a later tweet:
“And No I Did Not Blame God People! Seriously??!? CMon! I Simply Cried Out And Asked Why? Jus Like yal did wen sumthin went wrong n ur life!”
I don’t blame Erik for jumping on this. While hosting SportsCenter, ESPN’s Mike & Mike commented on the tweet and declared that blaming God for dropping a pass is something that you probably don’t want to do. However, I would hope that fellow Christians would be quick to listen and slow to tweet and blog. Stevie’s original tweet sounds eerily similar to many psalms of lament. He even ends it with thanksgiving! With only 140 characters, one can hardly jump to any conclusions about someone’s entire life trajectory or theological foundations and one can hardly be absolutely sure Stevie was being flippantly idolatrous and thinking God owes him something. In the midst of turmoil, Stevie lamented. Those of us who have gone through tough circumstances have wondered “Why?”. Sure it’s football, and dropping a TD pass is obviously nothing like Job went through and other personal struggles of family, health, life and death. But where did Stevie turn? And it seems the church should be there to help people land where the psalmists and, seemingly, Stevie landed after asking the question:
“Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Psalm 43:5
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December 1, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Justin Taylor
JJ,
I think it’s pretty clear that (a) he did indeed blame God and (b) he said the next day that it’s ridiculous to think that “this is how you do me?” was not blaming God!
JT
December 2, 2010 at 10:08 am
jjsherwood
I missed his tweet that you refer to in “(b)” or he might have deleted it. I just saw this one and I am more encouraged by his tweet that is still up from Monday:
I learned A lot Within 24hrs. Saw Both Sides.(Ups&Dwns) I AM HAPPY & THANKFUL 4 YESTERDAY! w/out Sunday iWldnt have grew closer w/The Lord!!
I think its easier to put together a critical post on American functional theology than to wait and see or to really research if what you’re accusing a man of is actually true. And its definitely easier to write a post about the Sunday tweet than the Monday tweet. Maybe Stevie does in fact think God owes him because he is religious, but I don’t think you can discern that from one tweet that sounds like many psalms. Would I have written it like that and then posted it for the world to talk about for the next few days? Obviously not and I do agree with some points in Erik’s post. I’m just appealing for some balance and a little grace for what seems to be a fellow brother.
Plus his theology functions in such a way that the trials in his life lead him closer to God, not farther away… that does not sound like the theology in Erik’s post to me.
December 2, 2010 at 8:43 am
David
well said, JJ.
When I first read the tweet, I felt bad for him. Who hasn’t felt that way?
Your remix of James, “be quick to listen and slow to tweet and blog,” is a good reminder for all of us.