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.         

Should I Send My Christian Kid to a Christian College?

This is a follow up to last week’s blog post “What Makes a Christian College Christian?”  It’s all well and good to try and define what a Christian college is but I got to wondering whether or not parents would want to send their Christian kids to a Christian college in the first place.  My initial response would be that you should definitely look into it.  That doesn’t mean that a Christian college will be the best choice for your son or daughter, but they won’t know that for sure without looking into one or two.  Here are some good reasons to do so.

1.     An education with a biblical world view – For me this is one of the most important reasons. It seems many secular schools are becoming little more than echo chambers with a narrow and liberal focus.  Unfortunately there is not a whole lot of diversity of thought.  I realize that is a generalization, and one might argue that Christian schools are echo chambers as well.  That might be the case, but if a school is going to have a narrow focus when it comes to its world view, wouldn’t you want that narrow focus to be based in the truths of scripture?

2.     Students can be with likeminded students – It’s nice for kids to be able to share the same faith and values.  That being said, I should note that just because they share the same faith and values that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for plenty of diversity.  Christian kids can be Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, NASCAR fans or ballet fans, into sports or into the theatre, upper income class or lower income class, Baptist or Episcopal, and so on.  In the midst of all those differences it’s nice to share the same faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.   

3.     Lots of opportunities to grow in your Christian faith – Between ministry opportunities, short term mission trips, inner-city service projects, special worship services, chapel, and bible studies, there is no shortage of opportunities for Christian kids to grow in their faith at a Christian school.  I readily admit there are opportunities for kids to grow in their faith at secular schools as well.  Especially if it’s a larger school down south.  Through organizations like Intervarsity and Cru students can easily find a good Christian environment.  At other schools it can be a bit more difficult.  Can a kid grow in their faith at a small New England college with little to no Christian clubs or organizations?  Yes they can, but they would definitely have to make more of an effort.  Ultimately, whether or not a Christian college kid grows in their faith during their four years of college depends on just how much they want to.  If they are at a place where they are not taking their faith very seriously than it probably doesn’t matter much where they go.  I was a youth pastor for 17 years and during that time I saw plenty of kids go off to secular schools and end up thriving in their faith and I saw plenty of kids going to Christian schools and end up struggling in their faith.  But in general the ones who went to Christian schools tended to flourish in their Christian faith more (for numerous reasons).

Some of you as parents at this point might be saying to yourself “I would love for my kid to look into a Christian school but I just don’t think he or she is interested.”  Here is my suggestion for you.  Encourage them to look into a Christian school anyway.  Notice I said encourage and not force.  There’s always that delicate balance between it being your son or daughter’s decision and it being your money.  As parents you have the right to gently nudge them in a direction you think is good for them.  I would simply say up front that part of the process will include looking at and applying to at least two Christian schools.  You are not forcing them to go to any particular school but you are at least exposing them to that option.  And let’s face it; most kids really don’t know what they want when it comes to looking at colleges.  They may not think they want to go to a Christian school but once they visit one they could totally change their mind. 

For me personally, my son is currently in his freshmen year at a Christian school down South.  He applied to two Christian schools and two secular schools.  I’m thankful that he seems to be doing quite well.  My daughter is a junior in high school and we are starting the search process all over again with her.  I don’t know if she will end up at a Christian college or not.  All I know is I will follow my own advice in this blog and pray……… a lot!

What Makes A Christian College Christian?

I was with a group of fellow pastors the other day and we were talking sports. Somehow the conversation turned to Baylor University and their not so positive headlines lately.  This led to a discussion around Baylor being a Christian college.  I wasn’t so sure but I did end up learning about many points of Christian emphasis at Baylor from one of the guys who had close ties to the university.  For that I was thankful.  The whole conversation got me thinking though; what makes a Christian college Christian?  I’ve managed to come up with two requirements.

1.     For a Christian college to be Christian it must advertise as being Christian. – Let’s face it; if a school isn’t even willing to advertise itself as a Christian school than why should the rest of the world consider it so.  Is being a Christian school a point of emphasis on their brochures and website?  Does it have a motto that is distinctly Christian?  I believe there should be something (if not many things) on the homepage of their website that communicates that they are Christian.  It’s all well and good if you can go to a tab and find out about their many student ministries and a thriving religious life, but that’s not the same as distinctly proclaiming itself as a Christian school.

2.     The staff, faculty, and board members need to be Christian. – These are the people who promote the school, run the school, and teach the students.  If they are not Christian than the overall emphasis of the school and education is not going to end up Christian either. 

So that’s it.  Just those two requirements are what are needed in my opinion to be a Christian school.  A couple other issues did come to mind though.

1.     What about requiring chapel?  I think that is more of a philosophical issue.  Personally I think a Christian college should have some sort of chapel requirement.  It doesn’t have to be overly strict, but something that manages to get students together for worship at least once a week.  That being said, there are many in my family who attended North Park University in Chicago (A Christian school by my definition above) and they take pride in knowing that their chapels are not required but many students attend anyway out of their desire to grow in their faith and to encourage the numerous students who are involved in running it.

2.     What about Christian Codes of Conduct? – In other words, what about rules that encourage/force students to follow a particular school’s understanding of what it means to live a Christian life?  When you think about it, all schools have rules.  The Christian ones just tend to be a bit more thorough.  To me that is a good thing.  So many secular schools have gotten carried away with trying to be amoral about how they run their schools that they end up doing things that make little to no sense.  I mean come on; who in their right mind thinks having co-ed bathrooms is a good idea?  Someone was telling me the other day that their kid’s school has a rule that a person of the opposite sex can only stay overnight for up to 3 nights in a row, and then they have to stay in their own room for a night.  Really?!?  How’s the third wheel roommate feeling about that rule?  But back to rules for Christian living in Christian schools.  Of course that’s a good idea, but you need to find what makes the most sense to you.  I personally am not a fan of the overly fundamental Christian schools with strict rules, dress codes, curfews, etc.  The more fundamental they are, the more the student is living in a Christian bubble and not the real world.  That being said, I know many people who have attended Liberty University, and who currently attend there and they have no problem whatsoever with Liberty’s stricter rules and they love the experience they had or are having there.  They knew what they were getting into and that’s how they wanted it.  In summary, any Christian school is going to have a code of conduct with a Christian emphasis.  It’s up to the student (and parents) to decide how comfortable they are with its level of strictness.  Allow me to suggest my alma-matter’s (Gordon College) old motto as what I think is a good guideline to life on a Christian campus.  It was “Freedom within a Framework of Faith.”  I think they followed that pretty well with their conduct codes.  Enough rules to emphasize Christian living, but not so many that it felt like you were not in the real world.

So I have no idea if this was helpful or interesting for anyone reading it.  It was just something I was thinking about.  I almost became a guidance counselor instead of a pastor, so maybe that’s where this blog entry is coming from.  If you’ve managed to stick with me to the end, perhaps you will also enjoy my next entry – "Should I Send My Christian Kid to A Christian School?"  Stay tuned.  

Corporations are People

I was out and about running errands today when I came across a bumper sticker in the BJs parking lot.  It said “Corporations Are Not People.”  Next to it was a “Hillary for America” sticker, so I think I got a pretty good understanding of where she was coming from, but I must say a bumper sticker like that is part of what’s wrong with our political process.  It makes your opponent faceless so you can vilify them easier.  The reality is corporations ARE people.  I’m guessing she didn’t get the irony that she was in the parking lot of what is a major corporation.  The guy behind the deli counter, the woman at the register, the kid organizing the shopping carts, and the guy punching her receipt (What’s the deal with that policy anyway?) are all a part of a corporation.  I’m sure if I had the opportunity to ask, this woman would have told me that corporations are just greedy entities made up of fat cats and the one percent, but it’s just not accurate.  Those corporations also have administrative assistants, janitors, I.T. guys, cafeteria workers, middle managers, receptionists, etc.  Also it should be noted that most corporations are not the colossal fortune 500 types, they are actually small businesses; the “main streets” as opposed to the “wall streets.”  In summary, it was just a dumb bumper sticker that upon closer examination makes little to no sense.

I push my blog as a Christian one, so what’s the Christian perspective on all of this?  Here’s what I am thinking; if corporations actually are people, then Jesus loves them and cares for them.  He even cares for those rich one percenters that help make some of those corporations run, because Jesus came to this earth not to condemn it but to save it.  And He didn’t just die for the lowly, the down and out, or whoever else the woman with that bumper sticker may have in mind.  He died for people who work for corporations; many of whom are in my congregation.  They work hard, come to church, and are faithful givers.  We in turn take that money they’ve given and use a good chunk of it to support those in need in our community and around the world so that even more people can hear about how Jesus died for them too.  Corporations are not faceless.  They are not evil.  They are people.  We should all be thankful for them and the good they do.  

A Prayer for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton

This Sunday I’m preaching through 1^st Timothy 2:1-8.  As is often the case, as I was preparing my message God started convicting me.  This time around it was in verse two with a clear call to pray for our countries leaders.  I wasn’t convicted so much about our current leaders as I was the ones who are aspiring to the nation’s highest office.  It occurred to me that I had not said a single prayer for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.  I’ve spent my fair share of time bashing both of them among friends and on social media, but not a single prayer on their behalf.  So please allow me to remedy that now.

Dear Heavenly Father, first off I would like to say I’m sorry and ask for your forgiveness.  I have been more concerned about expressing my opinions about these two individuals than I have been about praying for them.  God I acknowledge that you created Donald and Hillary in your image.  I acknowledge that for all the faults people may find in them, I believe they are both in the presidential race because they desire to make our world a better place.  God I acknowledge that I am a sinner just like them and we all have fallen short of your glory.  Lord, barring your divine intervention it’s very likely that one of them will end up being our president and so I want to lift both of them up to You.  I pray that You would draw them close to You.  I pray that You would help them to know and understand Your heart.  I pray that they would follow the example You have given us in Your son Jesus Christ, and that they would be true servant-leaders; governing from a place of humility and not pride.  Lord, would You also help them to understand more and more what it means to be holy and set apart.  I pray that you would convict them when it comes to integrity and honesty; may they govern with clean hands and a pure heart.  Lord, I thank You that You are a God of redemption.  You have redeemed your followers, You can redeem any of the mistakes either of these two have made, and You can redeem the ugly spectacle this election has become.  Lord, whichever of these two come into office I pray that You would help them help us as a country to put away our anger and dissension, and to follow You and love You as we seek to love and serve others.  In Jesus name amen.

I’m not sure if this prayer did anything for you, but I know one thing for sure; I feel a lot better for having written it.  And let us never forget, regardless of who wins this election, God is still sovereign and on His throne.    

Grace + Truth = A Christ-like Life

This Sunday I’m preaching on the first half on John chapter 1, focusing in on verse 14.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  I am so captivated by this idea of Jesus being full of grace and truth.  It’s practically all I’ve been thinking about for the past week, and that’s not just because I’m preparing a sermon on it.  I keep asking myself “what does it mean for me to be full of grace and truth?”  I figure if I’m a Christian that means I am a follower of Jesus and I desire to learn from and emulate his exemplary life.  Therefore I think I need to be doing all I can to live a life full of grace and truth.

I think depending on our personalities we all tend to lean one direction or the other.  I’m a bit more of a truth guy myself.  Whatever the issue is I tend to hone in on what I think the truth of the matter is, often times without a lot of understanding or compassion.  I’ll never forget when I was getting my Masters many years back; I was in a class that was discussing crime in our society and I made the mistake of using the term “dirt bags” when referring to a lot of those people who contribute to our societal ills.  I got in a little trouble with the professor that day.  Thankfully I think I’ve grown a little since then.   A more graceful person would have wanted to understand more what has contributed to said “dirt bags” actions and how can we better help them.  Although a grace leaning person can sometimes go too far as well; often looking to excuse behaviors that are plain and simply wrong. 

Here’s something that’s probably a safe generalization.  When looking at the faults of others we tend to lean more towards truth, and when looking at the faults of ourselves we tend to lean more towards grace.  Back to Jesus; He was full of both.  He called people out for their sin and didn’t back down from that.  At the same time He was full of grace, offering forgiveness and a new way of life.  Perhaps we see His fullness of both truth and grace at its best in the account of the woman caught in adultery.  Jesus identified her sin as sin and told her to go and sin no more, but he also said he did not condemn her.

So how do we let the fullness of grace and truth play out in our own lives?  For those of us who profess the Christian faith I have at least one suggestion.  I think the Church would be far better off if we could learn to focus more on the core truths of our faith and show grace in all the rest.  By core truths I mean belief in the one true Triune God, that we are sinners and belief in Jesus Christ as the sole way to salvation, and belief in the bible as God’s word to mankind.  And that’s about it.  Everything else is secondary.  We can have great discussions about such things as inerrancy, end times, creation, Calvinism, fundamentalism, worship styles, miraculous gifts, faith in politics, sexuality, baptism, how we should share our faith, and more.  I also believe we should have well-formed opinions on such things based in our study of the scriptures.  But to be full of grace in these areas means that we accept that there are those who have studied the scriptures just as much if not more and have come to different conclusions than we have.  And when that happens we resist those judgments that come to mind, dismissing the other as a wacky fundamentalist or a liberal social gospel nut (to name just a couple).  We also seek to keep things civil and respectful in our conversations and especially in our social media dialogue. I say that preaching to myself.  It’s so easy sometimes to take a “tone” in the written language we use on Facebook.  Let’s remember the rest of the world is watching us.  We all need to ask ourselves “how am I coming across to others?”  The Church is a big tent with room for all types and we need to lead the way as Christians; holding consistently to our core truths and being full of grace in all the rest.            

Colin Kaepernick's Right to Ignorance

Let me say right up front, my apologies if the title to this blog sounds a little harsh.  For whatever its worth, I’ve toned it down a bit.  My original title idea was Colin Kaepernick’s right to be a stupid idiot.  I’ll start by saying everyone gets that he has the right to sit down during the national anthem.  I don’t know of a single person who doesn’t fully believe in the first amendment.  So there is no argument here, or anywhere that I’m aware of, saying Kaepernick doesn’t have the right to sit.  My argument is that he reveals his ignorance in doing so.  I’m quite sure his heart is in the right place and he thinks he is doing a good thing drawing attention to a social problem in our country.  He rightly believes that black lives matter and he also believes there are some police officers who don’t feel that way who have oppressed and even killed black people.  Now Colin and I might have a quibble or two over how much good the black lives matter movement is doing but that’s not the point.  Even if I agreed with him 100% about the state of black lives and policing in our country I still think he is wrong to sit during the national anthem.  If I could talk to him face to face this is what I would say.

You know what Colin?  Our country is not perfect. There are all kinds of issues where we could do better.  For you; you’re upset over a tiny minority of police officers who have killed black people while in the line of duty.  You don’t seem to be upset over white people who have been killed by police, but I guess that’s another argument for another day.  But either way, sometimes cops screw up.  You have that right to be upset and speak out about that.  Just like everyone else has a right to be upset and speak out about what upsets them.  People who are pro-life and believe life starts at conception have the right to be upset and speak out about those millions of innocent lives lost in our country.  People who want to see an end to the abuse of animals have a right to be upset and speak out against abuse and killing of animals.  People who believe we might be sending our children and grandchildren to an early grave because of global warming have a right to be upset and speak out about that. People have a right to be upset and speak out about human trafficking, and drug pushers, and pedophiles, and…… well you get the idea Colin.  There’s no shortage of issues in our country.  So if this is your issue Colin, then more power to you.  You just chose the wrong way to speak out and in doing so you showed your ignorance.  Because when you sit down during the national anthem, the issue is no longer about black lives mattering, the issue is now about disrespecting your country.  It’s about disrespecting the lives lost of those who would fight for your freedom in so many wars over the years. It’s about disrespecting a land that even with all its faults is still the best at giving all of its people opportunity.  You, a millionaire athlete of all things should get that.  Don’t you think it’s a little odd that you are the only one doing this?  With all those issues people have to get upset about that I mentioned earlier, you are still the only one who chooses to sit for the National Anthem.  Do you think your issue is somehow more important?  You are not the only athlete who has ever cared about a cause.  And yet still, all the rest stand.  It’s because they get it, and they are thankful to live in the United States of America.  And they can promote their cause in interviews, and press room conferences, and blog posts, and social media, to name just a few.  And so can you Colin. You can make your point without disrespecting our country.  But it’s up to you.  It’s your right to sit or to stand.  Just know that the more you choose to sit, the more respect you will lose, and less good you will do for your cause.