A Lesson in Forgiveness From Tom Crean

Last Sunday the Indiana Hoosiers narrowly defeated the Michigan Wolverines to capture their first Big 10 title in twenty years. This happened after the game:

Apparently, Tom Crean holds Jeff Meyer partially responsible for the wreckage he inherited when he took the position at IU. He was clearly wrong in confronting Meyer in such a way, especially after such an important game.

Crean has apologized to the Wolverines assistant. I’m glad that he apologized so quickly after the incident and not in response to a media firestorm. It’s great that he apologized.

But…

He also said this:

We discussed a couple of things and I apologized. In retrospect, I wish I had never addressed anything after the heat of battle in a game, but I did and we move on. End of story…

It is likely that what Crean is saying is, “Let’s not continue to cover this in the media”. And that is probably a valid point. But I found something in his apology that I see occasionally in my own heart.

I mess up sometimes. I mess up as a follower of Christ, as a husband, a father, a pastor, a friend, and anything else you could add. And when I say “I mess up” I mean that I rebel against God and commit odious sin that caused Jesus to hang on a cross. When I sin as a believer the Holy Spirit convicts me. In my better moments I then apologize and confess.

However, it can be really tempting when asking for forgiveness to assume that your apology is the end of the story. There are times when we must reap the consequences of our sin. We must allow the other person to feel the weight of our sin against them. We ought not let ourselves off the hook too easily. Of course forgiveness needs to happen whenever we seek forgiveness. But restitution also needs to happen. And sometimes that takes time.

Just because it is “end of story” on your side does not mean that it is the end of the story on the side of the one you have offended.

Borrowed Light Bracket Challenge

You want to win a $10 Gift Certificate to Amazon?  Simple.  Win this bracket challenge:

Borrowed Light Bracket

Click the link.  Join the group.  Fill out a bracket (only one bracket).  And start praying. 

This year looks to be pretty “chalk”.  Most people are not picking a ton of upsets.  Will you go against the grain and pick another VCU type of run into the final four this year?  Or will it be only 1 or 2 seeds in the Final Four? 

Monday’s Ministry Musing: Don’t Pull a Roscoe

This happened about a year ago and I laughed then.  I saw it again the other day and found myself laughing all over again.  Roscoe Smith—and it’s fitting that someone with the name Roscoe would do this—is the culprit.  He later explained his reasoning for his 80 foot heave:

"When I saw the clock, I thought there were two or three seconds left," Smith told the Hartford Courant. "My team -- man, they got on me in the locker room. I glanced at [the clock] and threw it up there. I just saw the clock going real fast."

As I am laughing through this video I’m struck by something that is not so laughable—the reality that I’ve thrown up 80 foot prayers with 11 seconds left in counseling sessions.  Unlike Roscoe, I’ve done this more than once.  Some troubled soul has came to my office and poured out their heart, and rather than remaining calm and really listening (taking the time to dribble up the court) I chuck up a full-court prayer.  

It’s understandable to do this.  After all the clock is moving really fast.  It seems that this persons pain needs to be resolved this very second.  We don’t have time to get into our offense or get the ball across half-court and call time-out.  Time is running out.  That clock is ticking.  I better lob some sort of advice or wisdom that gets this person’s level of pain down and comfort up. 

The problem is that what was needed in this situation was not an 80 foot toss into the stands.  There may be time for those full court throws—like when there really is 1 second left instead of 11 seconds.  But most of the time what feels like 1 second is really closer to eleven and what is needed is a patient walk up the court (digging for the real issue) and then working for a high percentage shot. 

Most of our counseling will be of the 11 second-enough time to run it up the court-variety.  Very seldom is it 1 second.  The wise counselor will realize this and not treat 11 second counseling like 1 second left full court tosses.  To do so puts you in danger of pulling a Roscoe.  So, counselors trust the sovereignty of God, learn from his patience, and don’t pull a Roscoe.