Tag Archives: Adrian Peterson

Not As We Deserve

After weeks of public scrutiny, the National Football League has decided to change their policy on player conduct in regards to off the field matters.  Recent transgressions from Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy have caused corporate sponsors to begin to end their partnership with certain teams and perhaps the league itself.  However, when the next scandal rears its ugly head, will anyone remember names like O.J. Simpson, Rae Carruth or Aaron Hernandez?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mgu7jbtc5U

Although the media can be cruel, praising you one day; then running you over the next, did you get what you deserved?  If you’re like Michael Sam, now a member of the Dallas Cowboys practice team, you really can’t do much to hurt the glowing reception you’ve received.  On the other hand, if you’re a Josh Gordon of the world, how many opportunities will you blow before your dream is taken away for good?  Regardless of where you find yourself on this spectrum, one thing is certain, you reap what you sow, Galatians 6:7-8.

Despite this reality, God has thrown a life line down to anyone who has blown it big time, messed up their life or screwed up someone else’s life.  According to Psalm 103:10, God does not treat us as our sins deserve.  While many individual’s will beat themselves up internally with guilt, resentment and shame, the Lord is only a prayer away, waiting with open arms of forgiveness.  May the promise of Psalm 103:11-12 help you overcome any time you fall from grace, as God continues to treat his creations not as we deserve.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Depending upon who you listen to or believe, many revisionist historians blame Christianity for the demise of great empires of the past.  Quite contrary, often its the lack of morality, either absent from followers of Jesus or invisible from societies which contribute to the fall of once great nations.  You don’t have to go any further than America’s current view of their justice system.  In the eyes of the media, you are now guilty until proven innocent.

Names like Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy, NFL stars accused of domestic violence, are guinea pigs on this slippery slope.  While the facts may not support their innocence, cable news networks and radio talk shows have already made up their minds.  Who needs a jury anyway?  In the court of public opinion, the decision is clear, guilty as charged!

Psalm 103:6-8 speaks up for any citizen who has been through under the bus.  The Lord hears the cries of the oppressed, bringing justice and working righteousness in the midst of despair.  God’s love is not distant, introduced to Moses and passed on through generations by reminding earth’s residents of His compassion, love and mercy.  Although, the evidence may not look good for anyone accused of a crime, don’t forget that in the America that I remember, you are innocent until proven guilty.

by Jay Mankus

 

Now I’ve Seen Everything

During the Clinton Administration, 1993-2001, America citizens were less intrusive.  When rumors of affairs, murmurs of  sexual misconduct and witnesses of past improprieties began to come forward, many people protested, claiming the president has a right to his own privacy.  The talking points in the media were clear, “as long as you work hard, give your all each day, everyone, including the president of the United States has the freedom to do what they want on their own time.”  As Dorothy proclaimed to her dog Toto upon landing in Oz, “we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore!”

This is how I felt last night while driving home from work when I heard the news Adrian Peterson, star running back for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings was arrested for spanking his child.  After one of his children pushed another out of the way while playing on a swing seat, Peterson choose to discipline his son, following in the footsteps of his parents.  Maybe he got carried away, but Adrian was simply trying to practice a biblical principle, Proverbs 22:6.  Surely, the state of Texas would understand this?  At least in the past they did, yet not now and not today in this culture of chaos.

If Adrian is guilty, then maybe the authorities need to go after the founders of Scared Straight and Beyond Scared Straight?  I’m kidding!  Remember when you could tell a joke, say something funny or sarcastic and not have to worry about the social police from shutting you down.  Anyway, my point is that spanking is a form of scared straight, associating pain with punishment.  My father used a paddle with a steel insert from his college fraternity.  As a former college football player, sure my butt was paddled a few times, yet I was a quick learner, acknowledging the importance of honoring your father and mother.  I’m not sure what’s next nor can I recommend a clear cut solution.  Nonetheless, now that I’ve seen everything, I sense Jesus’ return is closer than its ever been before.

by Jay Mankus