LINcredible! Jeremy Lin has taken NY by storm. Before each game he and teammate Landry Fields have a ritual. He has been called the Taiwanese Tebow, but he is not Tebowing. He and Landry pretend they are paging through a book, and then raise hands and eyes to heaven. They explain that the book is the Bible and it is God they are playing for. They look to heaven for God’s assistance as the game begins.
Indeed, Lin, a devout Christian, was an active member of the Asian American Christian Fellowship while at Harvard. So let’s follow through —with a theological view—on his spectactular beginning with the Knicks.
Since coming to the Knicks, they have played LIN-spired basketball.
His LIN-itiation into the NBA has reached around the globe, possibly saved the Knick’s coach’s job. Tickets to Knick’s games, and No. 17 Knick’s shirts are selling like wildfire.
Not only does he LIN-spire the Knicks, but countless youths to be the best they can. Some sports commentators now see him as the LIN-carnation of the ideal point guard. He reminds older fans of Bob Cousy more recent fans of John Stockton.
He does make mistakes, a number of turn-overs, so he is not LIN-errant. And while the Knicks have won every game in which he started, eventually the Knicks will lose, because he is not LIN-fallible, and not yet LIN-mortal.
He says that if doesn’t play B-ball, “I would be a pastor.” And he looks forward to that when his playing days are over. But right now, he is preaching to a very large, world-wide congregation, from the basketball court. So let's enjoy the show!
Peter Schineller, S.J.
God's "assistance" for what?
A LIN-teresting take on the the LIN-creasingly LIN-fluential Mr. Lin.
(If one is going to beat a dead horse, it's always best to go full throttle.)
Hopefully, he will be still be doing well this time next year.
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Like Vince (#5), I would like to know what kind of "assistance" they are asking for - to win? to be the best one can be? ... This public asking-for prayer that centers around ME makes a mockery of the prayer that seeks to abandon and forget ones self. Just the fact that this private sort of praying is done in public worries me.