Rick Reilly's post I Believe in Tim Tebow arrived in my Google Reader at the same time that another article did about Eddie Van Halen's recent gift of 75 guitars to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation.
Here are two guys, an athlete and a rock guitarist (one of my favorites, I must admit), who have had their share of successes and criticisms. It cannot be easy to be a celebrity. These days, everyone is under such scrutiny. Time and again, we see how people who have achieved so much either crumble under the immense weight placed on them or they fall off of the unrealistically high pedestal they are placed on.
It is nice to see an article catching people as they are doing what is right.
The word for doing what in right in Hebrew is "tzedek." When we help others and "right" the world, we refer to this as "tzedakah."
Tzedakah isn't only what is expected of those in the spotlight. It is expected from everyone. What I found especially refreshing about these articles is that they remind us of this.
Way to go Tim Tebow! Way to go Eddie Van Halen! More than any game or album, these gestures will be your lasting legacies. This is true for anyone who gives, helps, or volunteers.
