Tim Tebow Says 'We All Matter,' Calls for National Unity Amid Racial Tension
Tim Tebow doesn't typically speak up about hot button issues in the media, but in the midst of national racial tensions, the football player turned motivational speaker is sharing a subtle message about unity.
"I love our country and I would do anything for America. One thing that I love most is that it's one nation under God," the NFL hopeful said in an Instagram video posted last week where he disputed rumors about speaking at the Republican National Convention. "Do you know what that means? It means that you matter, God has a plan for your life and that every single person is significant."
The 28-year-old University of Florida Gators champion went on to let everybody know that they matter and spoke about the need for national unity.
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"We all matter. So let's come together on that, let's unite on that, forget about our quarrels and differences and let's come together [as] one nation under God," he said. "That should matter that He loves you. He has a plan for your life. God bless you and God bless America."
The hashtag #alllivesmatter has become popular on social media as a counter to the #blacklivesmatter hashtag that stems from the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter is a movement where people have been protesting the deaths of black people at the hands of police for years, but the fatal shootings of black men Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota earlier this month brought the group back to the forefront of mainstream media headlines.
After the killing of eight police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Dallas, Texas in recent weeks, the hashtag #bluelivesmatter has also become popular. However, Tebow has yet to share any of those hashtags.
Instead, he has chosen to challenge people to love one another.
"I am going to challenge you to love every single person in your life. I am going to challenge you to love your husband, your wife, to love your kids, to love your families, to love your communities, to love your neighbors, to love every single person you come in contact with," he said at the Together 2016 gathering organized by Pulse and its founder Nick Hall. "...When we love Jesus and we love people, we are going to make a difference and make an impact. If this body of people right here decides that we are going to take on that challenge to love people and love Jesus with everything that we have, we can change our communities, we can change our neighborhoods, we can change the Kingdom of God."
