A Sandusky Thought

In 1998, Jerry Sandusky and a boy used the equipment in the Penn State weight room. Though the boy was not sweating, Sandusky insisted they take a shower. He hugged him tightly, saying, "I'm going to squeeze your guts out!" He lathered the boy, and held him around his waist, his front to the boy's back.

The child was 11 or 12 years old. There was an investigation, and the case was closed.

In 2009, a teenager's mother told his school he had been sexually assaulted by Sandusky. A grand jury was convened to investigate the allegations, and in 2011, Sandusky was (initially) charged with 40 counts of abuse. (Twelve counts were subsequently added.) He waived his right to a preliminary hearing; a trial date was set for June 2012.

And here we are.

Sandusky's OJ moment came in 2011, before the completion of the grand jury investigation. In a last minute telephone interview, Bob Costas asked him if he was sexually attracted to boys. It took sixteen seconds* for Sandusky to say the word "No".

Ever hear that Richard Pryor bit about a child responding when he gets caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do? Like playing catch inside or running in the house? A lamp is knocked over and broken. The child is confronted. Huh?   What?   See, what had happened was…

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I have no doubt Jerry Sandusky is a child molester with a preference for 11-12 year old boys. I may not know much about men. But I am confident lathering a boy and give him a bear hug from behind is not part of their definition "horseplay". Teenagers farting into couch pillows and forcing their younger cousins to breathe it in? Horseplay. Thirty-eight year olds showering with their nephews and lathering them up? No.

Here's the crazy thing that came to mind as I stewed through all of the news reports: if Jerry Sandusky repented of his sins and turned to Jesus, God would forgive him.

I know, right? What kind of God would dare give him a second chance?

The God Christians believe in. God's love for people is one nation under a groove- so wide, so deep, so vast – you can't get away from it. He loves everyone. He offers salvation to everyone. EVERYONE.

Alright, I've lost some of you. Go ahead, click on over to that website that makes you giggle. Thanks for hanging in this long – it was a pleasure to have you! Don't even worry about trying to understand the last few paragraphs. Go enjoy the rest of your day/night. Check back for a new post when you feel up to it.

The rest of you – lemme try to break this down:

God loves everyone. Even people we think are monsters, like child molesters and sociopathic serial killers and tyrannical dictators.

He wants to hang out with us, but He can't. Despite being omnipotent, He can't be around sin. And we're drenched in sin. Even that sweet little old lady whose gossip influences the opinions of her social circle. We're like a teenager just discovering aftershave. Ooo-eee that smell is strong!

Now, if we pay the penalty of sin, we could hang out with God. It's like paying off a debt. Only the payment is death. Literally. And even then, we might still be in debt.

So, Jesus came and paid our debt; when He died, he paid our debt**. Everyone's debt. Sweet little old lady gossips and monstrous child molesters alike.

Then, He conquered death.

Easter? Biggest day on the Christian Calendar. Bigger than Christmas. Yes, you couldn't have Easter if you didn't have Christmas because you gotta be born to die. But it is Easter – the celebration of Jesus conquering death – that is the foundation of Christianity.

It's an invitation extended to Jerry Sandusky. To his victims. To townsfolk and university alumni. To those who have been shaken by the continually unfolding revelations. To Everyone.

Come, believe in Jesus. Come, be reconciled to God. Come, receive the Holy Spirit. Come, be transformed into your fullest potential. Come do things you couldn't imagine, things you could not do in your own strength or using your good looks, or your genius skills. Come. Let God Blow. Your. Mind.

* as timed by Rosie O'Donnell

** Thank ya', cuz!