Joe Paterno, Riots, and the Gospel
I’ve been thinking a lot today about the riot in State College, PA last night after the firing of Coach Paterno. Honestly, I’m sad to see him go. I love college football and during my lifetime he has always been the coach at Penn State. It’s surreal to think of the Nittany Lions without Joe Pa on the sideline (or at least up in the booth). That being said the students at Penn State have their priorities all out of whack.
Was Paterno disgraced, sure but by his own actions, not those of the board or trustees. Is it sad that he’s gone, yes. But not near a devastating as what happened to those young boys (up to possibly twenty at this point) who were molested by a man who was under Paterno’s authority. As soon as Paterno heard he should have called the police, no questions asked. It is for this inaction that he was fired, it’s not the media’s fault or the trustees. If, when confronted with this issue nine years ago, he had done the right thing he might still be the head coach at Penn State today.
Now back to the students. When did we become a society that puts football above the lives of children? Even without the underlying circumstances, who in their right mind destroys a downtown because a football coach was fired? Hopefully, one day these kids will look back on this a realize just how outrageous their reaction was. Hopefully they’ll see that is was Joe Pa himself and not the board of trustees that dishonored him.
I hope that these young men and women will get their priorities in order and turn their passion towards something useful. How about making sure that this never happens again? What would happen if the love they showed for Joe Paterno was turned toward Sandusky’s victims, or the rights of the unborn, or poverty? If this kind of passion was let loose on issues like this, the world would be changed.
As I read the articles this morning I couldn’t help but think, where is this type of passion in the church? Do these kids love their football coach more than we love Jesus, more than we love “the least of these?” I look at them and those in the “Occupy Wall Street” movement and I wonder what would happen if this generation were to know Jesus. If that passion and tenacity were turned towards the things of God, how would our society change? It gives me hope. It challenges me. It drives me even more to reach this generation with the Gospel.
I pray that God will use me and others to bring the message of the Kingdom to this generation. And, I hope that the church doesn’t tame them.
