Wednesday night, my niece’s husband, Fletcher posted five words
on Facebook: “Saddest day of my life.” I knew exactly what he was
talking about because the day before he had posted his reflection on the
events that were unfolding at Penn State. I read many accounts of what
were going on, but Fletcher’s reflection was one of the most poignant.
He wrote:
As far back as I can remember I have been a Penn State fan like my
father. Every year I could hardly wait for fall to watch Joe take a run
at the national championship. This team, this coach, and what it stood
for was a part of me. Work hard, have respect for yourself and others,
show class and pride in what you do and who you are, don't be a show
boat, and no member of the team is more important than the other are
just few of the things that this team embodied and represented to me. I
love football and I love this team. My heart goes out to everyone who
suffered from the actions of one selfish and twisted individual. I can't
imagine what they are going through and how hard this must be for them.
For me....its hollow. Penn State football stood for something.
Something in me and all of the PSU nation. Now that's gone and it is
heartbreaking. It is just a game and the sun will rise tomorrow, and
what is most important is that these boys get their justice. However, as
I sit here now my pride is gone. I still love Joe. I wish he had done
more, I wish he could do more. I wish this had never happened. I wish my
pride was not gone.
I don’t get all wrapped up in football the way others do. I had
to go to several of you to understand the importance of the Penn State
program to football.
When the beloved coach Joe Paterno got fired the next day, along
with the President of the University, for not doing more when they were
told that Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky was allegedly sexually abusing
boys while he running a summer sports camp at Penn State, all while he
was a coach at Penn State, the students rioted. It was mayhem on
Wednesday night.
People everywhere across the country were talking about it. We
all have our opinions. Thankfully, by the next day, the students moved
on to a better place and put together a prayer vigil for the victims of
the abuse. For all of us, the primary energy needs to go toward prayer
and compassion for the victims of the abuse.
And of course, the children and the families originally affected
by the perpetrators of violence are the ones most deeply affected by any
kind of abuse. Their lives are forever marked by the experience. Far
too many of you know that first hand.
But here is the thing, when there is a cover up of an incident
like this, the circle of victims, grows wider and wider and wider. Those
students became a part of the circle of the victims. The University by
not acting quickly and instead acting quietly added to the circle of
victims.
Jesus said to some of his first followers, “If you continue in my
word, [or my way], then you are my disciples, and you will know the
truth and the truth will set you free.” You see, I believe this means
that when we walk in the way of Jesus, then we will see the truth, and
we will speak the truth, even when it is inconvenient, and ugly, because
the truth sets us free. The truth sets us free from our sin.
When Jesus made this statement to his followers, they said, “We
have never been slaves. We are descendants of Abraham, we are not
slaves.” Jesus said, “Everyone who commits a sin is a slave to that sin.
But the Son sets you free from that sin.”
We are all sinners. Remember I told you last week, that we are
all saints, but guess what, we are all sinners too? There it is! We are
all slaves to sin. But Jesus sets us free. Jesus’ way is the way of
truth. When invite Jesus into our lives, Jesus comes like a big
spotlight that shines a light on all our sin. We can’t hide it, it’s
always there. But that’s good because it’s no good trying to hide our
sin. We know we can’t hide from our sin. It’s always there, eating away
at us.
Well here is the thing. Penn State University, it appears, had a
big old sin. Now Jerry Sandusky has not been convicted, so this could be
a big mistake. But there are at least 40 charges, so it appears that he
has a problem of being a child molester. And the University let him
keep on working there. They may have made him move his sports camp off
campus, but that is not protecting the child, that is just trying to
protect their sports program. That is like moving a pastor who is a
child molester from one parish to another. That is just plain wrong. We
have learned that that is a big mistake.
When the University officials failed to call the police and take
this seriously, they allowed there to be more child victims, but they
also allowed all their students to become victims of this whole cover
up. They were trying to protect the reputation of their football
program. We get that don’t we? Institutions don’t like scandals to come
out. Well, that did not work out so well for them, did it?
Because look at these students now. Coach Joe Paterno was an
icon. He was a hero. He probably would have retired this year one of the
most beloved men on the planet. He had been nominated for the
Presidential Medal of Freedom. And now he has been fired. As best we can
tell, he probably did legally what he was supposed to do. He did report
to the University. But when they covered it up, he apparently stood by.
Because that’s what “good old boys” do in these sorts of systems. It’s
been going on for eons. We protect the institution, rather than
screaming the truth at the top of our lungs. Joe Paterno is now a
victim as well for not doing that.
I think those students were rioting on Wednesday night because
their hero had fallen. If you can’t trust Joe Paterno to do the right
thing then who can you trust? The University could not possible fire
him! The world is turning upside down if even Joe is falling from
grace. I imagine Joe is doing some soul searching this week. From what I
hear, he’s a really good man. I’m sure he wants to be someone those
students can look up to. He wanted to retire with grace. It’s a shame
that his career had to end like this. It all happened because of another
man’s sin, and an institution’s decision to cover it up and hope it
would just go away, rather than face the truth and deal with the
consequences.
Well there is plenty of sin to go around at Penn State this week.
However, before we stand here judging them too harshly, let’s confess
that we all do it. It’s easy for us to stand here in Toledo, far away
from that situation and say, we would have done it differently. It’s
pretty easy for us from here. Jesus says, we are all slaves to sin. We
all participate in moral dilemmas every day, and we walk right on by. We
probably can’t scold every parent we see hitting a child in the
supermarket. We probably can’t challenge every one of our friends who is
struggling with health issues and still smoking, or question every
friend about whether or not they are practicing safe sex. No one wants
to be judged all the time by someone else. We can’t be the moral
police all of the time.
Perhaps we can start with our own lives. Jesus says that we are
all slaves to our own sin. But when we walk in the way of Jesus, he will
shine a big light on our lives for ourselves. Jesus says we need to
shine that light on our lives. Because we when we know his truth and
that truth will set us free. For just a moment, let’s not focus on the
sins of the Jerry Sandusky’s of the world, or the intuitions like Penn
State and various churches and denominations. That’s too easy.
What is the thing in your life that keeps you tied up in knots?
That binds you and keeps you from walking in the truth that you belong
to Jesus and that God loves you without question? Is it some habit, some
negative thought? A Tape that keeps going over and over in your head,
holding Something you have done that you need to let go of? Whatever it
is I’m going to invite you into this ritual.
Cross your arms like they are tied together as a slave or a
prisoner with heavy rope. Clench your fists. Focus on that sin. Dwell
on it, experience it. Then say the words of Jesus, “I am free.” And let
go and open your hands. Feel the freedom in the truth that you belong
to God and you are not a slave to your sin.
Jesus says when we walk in the way of Jesus, we will be free.
God wants us to be free. Free to live the lives that God wants for us. A
full life of love and pass that love onto others. Take a minute to
really appreciate that you are bound. But then let God set you free by
accepting that truth.
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