Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Who was Aaron Hernandez?

I’ll say up front that I did not know him personally so I suppose this blog post is pure speculation, but like many other current events I do have some thoughts on the matter based on the evidence he left behind.

Aaron Hernandez was a bad man.  Let’s be real about this.  The guy was serving a life sentence for murder and it’s quite possible if not probable that he killed two others.  Taking another person’s life is messed up.  It’s evil.  There are no two ways about it; it’s wrong.  I realize he had a tough upbringing and I realize that he lost his father at the age of sixteen.  I wouldn’t wish his life circumstances on anyone.  But still our world is loaded with people who have had tough upbringings and they still have managed to overcome them; people who in spite of their circumstances find a way to do the right thing and who live relatively moral upright lives  It seems on many levels Aaron Hernandez consistently did the wrong thing.

Aaron Hernandez was an amazing football player.  Being a football fan and specifically a New England Patriots fan it was downright fun to watch him play.  He could get open at will and his “run after the catch” skills were incredible.  He really did have hall of fame ability.  Around Boston people like to talk about another amazing athlete and what could have been before he died of a drug overdose not long after being drafted by the Celtics in 1986.  His name was Len Bias.  Most people in these parts speak of him in hindsight as the superstar we never got to see.  But really who knows.  There have been plenty of early first round draft picks who turned out to be busts.  Hernandez on the other hand gave us enough evidence playing in the NFL.  I am comfortable with saying he could have been one of the best ever at his position.

Aaron Hernandez was a sinner saved by grace.  I started out by saying Aaron Hernandez was a bad man, but do you know who else is a bad man?  I am.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m thankful to have not gotten involved in all the things he did, and I suppose some people might think of me as a good man, but they would be wrong.  Like everyone else in this world I am a sinner.  There may never be a made for TV movie based on my sinful life but I have fallen short in too many ways to count.  To name a few (without getting into the gory details) I have lied, I’ve been greedy, I’ve been self-centered, I have been lustful, I’ve been envious, I’ve coveted others and their possessions, I’ve done bad things in my anger, I’ve been prideful……….. you get the idea.  I’ve also grown up in a loving Christian home and always had a good caring support system of family and friends.  If I didn’t, who knows what else I would have to add to my list?  I’m just thankful I’ve been saved by a loving God who has shown me His grace through His son Jesus Christ.  And it’s quite possible Aaron Hernandez was saved by God’s grace too. I think he had John 3:16 written on his head and had his bible opened to that passage for a reason.  I think he wanted the world to know that in spite of his sinful life he had gotten right with God at the end and he had accepted God’s love and grace for him through Jesus Christ.  If that is the case, Aaron Hernandez was like a modern day thief on the cross.  If you are familiar with the story you know there was a thief being crucified next to Jesus and he was repentant to Jesus about the sinful life he lived, and Jesus said to him “today you will be with me in paradise.” 


Perhaps Aaron Hernandez is with Jesus in paradise today as well. How does that make you feel when you think about that possibility?  To be honest sometimes my initial reaction is not very sympathetic.  I start thinking about how such a bad man doesn’t deserve to be in heaven.  And then I remember that I don’t deserve to go there either but I still get to because of God’s grace.  The main difference between me and Aaron Hernandez is that I’ve been blessed to be able to live a fulfilling Christian life for many years now.  Comparatively he only got to know what it was like to know Jesus in this life for a very short time.  When I think of it that way it makes me feel bad for him.  I wish he could have known the joy that I have known throughout my life because of my Christian faith.  I suppose if he did we’d still be watching him on the football field today.  But that’s okay.  The time we have on this earth is fleeting for all of us.  Eternity on the other hand is forever.  With that in mind I’m choosing to think of Aaron Hernandez not as a bad man, but as a sinner saved by grace spending eternity with our Lord. I look forward to seeing him when my time is up.  I hope we’ll have footballs.