The Wide World of Sin

From time to time, in the news headlines, we read stories about adored athletes who make bad decisions that forever tarnish their reputations. It wasn’t all that long ago that Michael Vick, a former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was found to be the proprietor of a massive dog fighting complex. He was suspended by the NFL, lost his promotional agreements, and was sent to prison. The last I read, Vick is supposedly heading to a halfway house program. Sean Avery, a former left-winger for the Dallas Stars, lost his spot on the team for publicly insulting another NHL player regarding this player’s relationship with Avery’s former girlfriend. Plaxico Burress’s future in the NFL is in question because he was found to possess a handgun illegally after accidentally shooting himself in the leg. Most recently Michael Phelps, the winner of 16 Olympic medals, was photographed using marijuana. There is talk that he will lose sponsors.
There is much that we can learn from these athletes. First, we discover that there are consequences for even the wealthiest and most well known people in the world. Galatians 6:7-8 reminds us “a man reaps what he sows”. Second, we learn that we can’t hide from these consequences. In Psalm 139, the writer speaks of God’s omnipresence. The worst thing about the situation involving Michael Phelps is that those representing him attempted to cover up the mistake and bribe the newspaper that original published the photo. Finally, and possibly most importantly, we must remember, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). These men have made mistakes that our Lord is willing to forgive them for. We should also be willing to forgive the sins of others.