By John Rohlf
The Message assistant editor
Tim Tebow spoke to 2,500 attendees about the importance of standing up for the unborn during the annual Southwest Indiana Right to Life Banquet at Old National Events Plaza.
A former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion in college, Tebow was the keynote speaker for the annual event. The mission of his foundation, the Tim Tebow Foundation, is to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.
During his keynote address, Tebow said when his mother was pregnant with him, doctors advised his mother she needed to have an abortion “or it’s going to cost you your life and your baby’s life.” After his mother gave birth to Tebow, a doctor of 30 years said he did not know how Tebow survived, noting the placenta was barely attached.
“I’m so grateful that I get to be here because my mom loved me enough and trusted God,” Tebow said. “And then there was also so many people that would write her letters and encourage her and pray for her.”
Tebow shared a story from a testimony he heard from a counselor in abortion clinics. After the abortion, the counselor returned to see the baby, who was missing two legs and one arm. The doctor turned to her and said “sometimes they’re fighters.”
Tebow questioned whether we would live for Jesus and fight for that baby.
“Would I live for Jesus and would I fight for that boy,” Tebow asked. “Because would that boy be worth it enough for me just like Jesus? It was worth it enough to Jesus to die on the cross. Is it worth it enough to me to fight for that boy? Is he valuable enough to me or will I just kind of go on my way and I’ll sort of feel bad or do it from a distance?”
Tebow said we can have sympathy and empathy from a distance but we cannot have compassion from a distance. He noted compassion comes from the word passion, meaning you care so much for something, you are willing to suffer for it.
“Will we be willing to be uncomfortable so maybe one day, they can be comfortable,” Tebow asked. “And maybe one day, they would be able to say I’m free. I’m free.”
The former NFL quarterback and college football national champion questioned how many times he gave his greatest effort, energy, focus and determination to a game that he loves but ultimately does not matter. He said his greatest passion has been for a game he loves but ultimately does not matter.
“Maybe with the days forward, if we could have a conversation at the end of my life or in heaven looking back, I could say you know what, it started for a game but it ended for the cause of Christ and things that ultimately mattered,” Tebow said.
Tebow stressed true love requires true sacrifice and many times, it hurts. He encouraged the 2,500 attendees to “act like we’re on a rescue team.”
Bishop Joseph M. Siegel offered the opening prayer at the beginning of the event. During the prayer, he asked God to give us the courage to stand resolutely against the forces that threaten life ever more vehemently; and to grant us the wisdom, patience and perseverance to more peacefully change minds, hearts and laws to uphold the dignity of his most precious gift to our nation.
The event featured multiple additional speakers, including Jeff Ferguson, Southwest Indiana Right to Life’s new executive director. He noted 46 years have passed since the organization’s inception. He stressed their mission is to protect life and envision a world without abortion or euthanasia.
“Our mission is simple,” Ferguson said. “We exist to protect life. We maintain a passion to save lives and educate others with the truth that every person created at conception has the right to be born and live until natural death.”
