I was playing cribbage with Cam and his dad when I stumbled across some people that I didn't know. We were using Penn State football cards - so because I hadn't grown up a Nittany Lion fan many of the people depicted on the cards were unfamiliar to me. As we played I would read the cards and try and bolster my Penn State knowledge - even though I had already graduated and probably didn't need to anymore.
That was when I came across his card - Jerry Sandusky. I read the card and found out that apparently our nickname of "Linebacker U" had come from his work as Penn State's defensive coordinator. I was shocked - only knowing of Tom Bradley and his longevity at PSU - that there was someone else who had been more influential defensively.
That was the first time I had ever heard anything about Jerry Sandusky. I had graduated from Penn State not having any clue about him or his impact on the University.
I tell this story only to emphasize how truly unaware I was of anything he was involved in until his crimes were revealed to America. I found out when everyone else did. I was shocked - like everyone else. I was sad - like everyone else. I was angry - like everyone else.
And like everyone else I knew something needed to be done.
So stuff was done. Joe Paterno was fired in the wake of his failure to act appropriately. Curley and Schultz (people I had never heard of) were fired. Spanier was removed from office. Jerry Sandusky was arrested.
At the time I felt like some of those actions were unfair - namely the firing of Joe Paterno. He had apparently told the proper authorities, but he had failed to follow up and make sure that the situation was handled. In my mind I thought, "How could anyone expect him to do more than what he did? He isn't a cop, he isn't the president - he didn't even directly witness the crime. What else could he do?"
After reading an article written by Tim Henderson, however, I realized I had made a mistake that I feel like many would have made in a similar situation. I valued the devotion to and defense of family over the devotion to and defense of God's perfect love and justice. The "blood" I defended was the blood-tie I had formed with Penn State, but the "blood" I should always seek to defend first is the blood of Christ that unites the known universe through his forgiveness of our wrongs and promise of everlasting relationship with Him - the truly just and gracious King. Family loyalty isn't wrong. Misplaced loyalty was my crime.
I think that Joe Paterno should have done more - but I am leary of passing judgement having not been in that position. My hope is that I would have acted. I think too often we look at terrible things that someone does and think, "I don't understand how someone could do something like that," or, "Why didn't he act?" Jerry Sandusky didn't wake up one morning and decide sexually molesting multiple boys would be his plight or goal. The sin crept in over years of exposure to boys and the allowance of even small and seemingly harmless inappropriate actions. Sin never makes sense - but we often ignore this reality when the logical fallacy seems ineffectual. While I "follow" why Sandusky did what he did, he did it based on a truth that he ignored or a lie that he believed. MY UNDERSTANDING DOES NOT EVER MAKE WHAT HE DID OKAY. The ability to follow why something was done should never be the reason it is condoned.
I think this "illogical and completely horrific end" point of view, however, is what has lead to many swift and perhaps ineffectual decisions. Logical, effective decisions should have been made in the wake of the belief and tolerance of illogical decisions and lies.
I find it unreasonable, for example, to expect that the NCAA's sanctions spanning only four years would accomplish any of the goals they profess to work towards. These boys have suffered longer and those men have given in to their sins longer, so expecting those sanctions to fix everything in less time than it took the issues to develop seems unfair - especially when the sanctions fail to directly address either the punishment of the men or the restoration of their victims.
Emmert attacked what he thought was the problem - football idolization. I think that IS a problem, but not only at Penn State. Every school in the country that has a football program with any sort of reputation has an idolization issue. But let us not belittle the victims by saying the issue was a football issue. Football was a symptom. Self-glorification and satisfaction are the issues. Pride is the issue. Thinking we are the objects of glory and satisfaction is the issue.
And sanctions don't fix that.
Jesus Christ is the one who fixes lives - and that is evident in mine. Jesus Christ heals broken hearts - and that is evident in mine. What these boys need is people in their lives who will offer the hope that most of them looked to Sandusky for. They need a father - someone in their lives to let them know that they are loved - because they have been hurt; deeply and with long-term effects.
Penn State is breaking tradition and putting the players names on the back of their jerseys for next year. I heard the reasoning and was impressed. Their goal was to honor the players who were committed to Penn State in light of the sanctions from the NCAA. The more I thought about it, however, I thought to myself - wouldn't it be better if instead of honoring someone's commitment to a football program we honored someone's commitment to the value of human life?
I say don't put the players' names on the jerseys. Put the victims' names on the jerseys.
Show the nation that Penn State has one tradition that supercedes all football and academics: a commitment and devotion to the value of life and its protection at all costs. These were people with names - names that are adjectives describing the creation of a perfectly just and loving God. If Penn State plays, they should play for them - to show them that they are valued more than football. They are valued and loved so deeply that a Father in heaven would send a Son in their stead - life through relationship with Christ through His resurrection from the dead. I pray that the players would play for something more - I pray the coachs would coach with that in mind - and I pray that the victims find peace in all of this. That's what I'm doing right now.
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