Robert Turner stopped by the class to share his ministry experiences with us this week. Robert has worked with collegiate ministers in Pennsylvania for forever. While we were at dinner, one of my fellow students asked a question that had never crossed my mind.
How are the people at Penn State dealing with the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial.
Robert referenced the response of Johnny Pons, a collegiate leader in State College who considered Sandusky a friend. Pons never could have dreamed that Sandusky was capable of the crimes that he’s be convicted of. To Pons, Sandusky was a nice guy who was always in the gym next to him.
But instead of harping on the crimes that Sandusky committed, Pons takes the conversation inward. In an interesting twist, Pons uses the shock of the Sandusky case to reflect on the damage that sin can cause and has caused in his own life.
That got me thinking about the fragility of a legacy. Legacies, like Rome, aren’t built in a day. But they can be destroyed in one. As collegiate ministers, we spend years building up trust, building relationships. And in the blink of an eye of the slip of a tongue, all of that can be destroyed.
How are the people at Penn State dealing with the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial.
Robert referenced the response of Johnny Pons, a collegiate leader in State College who considered Sandusky a friend. Pons never could have dreamed that Sandusky was capable of the crimes that he’s be convicted of. To Pons, Sandusky was a nice guy who was always in the gym next to him.
But instead of harping on the crimes that Sandusky committed, Pons takes the conversation inward. In an interesting twist, Pons uses the shock of the Sandusky case to reflect on the damage that sin can cause and has caused in his own life.
That got me thinking about the fragility of a legacy. Legacies, like Rome, aren’t built in a day. But they can be destroyed in one. As collegiate ministers, we spend years building up trust, building relationships. And in the blink of an eye of the slip of a tongue, all of that can be destroyed.
We’ve all heard the stories about the pastors who have built great reputations, and later admit to the corruption of sin in their lives. Pons stresses the importance of guarding our lives and our legacy from letting the sin that can creep in and ruin everything we’ve worked hard to accomplish.
People who knew Sandusky are left questioning what they knew, who they knew. In the situation of collegiate minsters, students can walk away questioning everything that we taught them, and in some cases questioning everything that they believe in.
If we truly care about our students and about the legacy that we’re creating, it is vitally important that we guard our hearts and our lives closely.
If we truly care about our students and about the legacy that we’re creating, it is vitally important that we guard our hearts and our lives closely.
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