Most people know that I am a sports fan. I love football and hockey especially. We are huge fans of the Tennessee Titans. If you follow the NFL, you know that the Titans have the best record in the league and can clinch home field advantage for the playoffs this week.
There are many reasons the Titans were so good this year. But one of those major factors is a big surprise. They are lead by a 35 year old quarterback who has one of the most up and down careers you would ever hear of. Kerry Collins led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl in his second season. A few years later, his struggles with alcohol as well as other issues caused the Panthers to release him. His journey includes a stint in rehab, another Super Bowl run with the New York Giants, two years in the football purgatory known as the Oakland Raiders, and a serious consideration to retire before the Titans signed him to be a backup. Then, the anointed superstar-to-be Vince Young had a Kerry Collins-like meltdown this year and Collins inherited the job and has done well. I actually just finished reading a Sports Illustrated article about his year that was quite moving.
My brother-in-law is a huge Carolina Panthers fan. As you could imagine, he has quite a different view of Collins. No doubt when they went to the Super Bowl he enjoyed the success and probably at the times at least appreciated Collins. After his meltdown which allegedly includes the decision that he didn’t want to lead a team, Panthers fans developed a great disdain for Kerry Collins. The mere mention of his name can straighten the curly hears on my brother-in-law’s head. It generates statements like, “Wait and see! Collins can never lead a team.”
Before I continue, here is a disclaimer. I love my brother-in-law. He is a true fan. I understand why he feels the way he does. I feel the same way about Pac Man Jones for the record. But…
The Collins story is interesting to me. Essentially, Collins has repented. If repentance means to change, all indications are that Collins has changed his behavior and lifestyle since his Panthers days. His off-the-field and on-the-field life is quite different than it was then. And yet, the typical Panther fan has nothing positive to say about him. In other words, they don’t accept his repentance.
Do you see the spiritual application? I think we often refuse to fully accept the repentance of our brothers and sisters. Someone changes their behavior and confesses their sin and yet we continue to cast glazing stares and say, “Well, you know what they did. They’ll never amount to anything.”
If I remember correctly, Jesus warned about that kind of forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15). If we don’t forgive, we won’t be forgiven. I don’t think my brother-in-law’s view of Kerry Collins puts his soul in jeopardy. But if we forgive others when they ask in that way, it will create a dangerous predicament for our soul.
So learn to forgive. It’s the only way you can expect to receive forgiveness from God.
7 Comments
December 20, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Heh, I wondered how long it would be until KC was trotted out.
Not to destroy your analogy too much, but Collins said some rather… negative things about the team, the city, the fans, his teammates, and so on during his time with the Giants. Classic blame transfer (or at least sharing) – which is a lesson for us as well, I suppose. True repentance includes taking responsibility for your choices instead of blaming circumstances, your friends, your parents, etc.
December 20, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the aforementioned brother-in-law.
My post is not dealing with his mindset while at New York. His recent comments take total responsibility for his past mistakes. Give him a little credit. Oh that’s right…you can’t, you’re a Panthers fan.
Seriously though…I appreciate your perspective. Just take the analogy for the good side and put your personal feelings aside…
December 21, 2008 at 5:03 am
um, point of fact Collins was long gone from the Carolinas when they made the Superbowl. And KC has become a by word here- like Judas or Pete Rose. They have forgiven others – Smith instance who has a track record of bumping teammates with his fists.
December 21, 2008 at 5:09 am
fyi, one of the kids here at work who is a Steelers fan wants me to agree to wear a Steelers jersey if the win. I informed the entire crew I would not be answering my phone tomorrow afternoon…. Of course, I might have to avoid Judy for a coupla weeks after the Steelers lose if i still want a job.
December 21, 2008 at 5:30 am
I could care less about football. However, the point about seeing someone’s repentance is very valid. I think about the guy who had been having sex with his father’s wife. While he was living in denial, continuing in sin, the Corinthians were apparently boasting about their ability to be tolerant. That seems to be where many churches are headed these days.
However, when Paul rebuked them and they disciplined the brother, he repented. Then Paul had to rebuke the Corinthians again. Now, even after the brother had repented, they were still holding him aloof. Paul said they needed to show their love for him.
His first reproof was not that we are to hate people who have sinned. It was that we discipline those in our midst who refuse to repent. When someone repents, we should no longer view them as the one who did such and such in the past. We should view them the same way we want folks to view us.
I’m assuming you are like me, not wanting others to hold every sin you ever committed over your head. ‘Cause I’ve committed some pretty bad ones and I would hope people can see I’m a child of God nonetheless and love me for that.
December 21, 2008 at 11:25 am
Correction to story: Collins took the Panthers to the NFC Championship game… One game short of the Super Bowl. Obviously, for this failure he must be punished forever!
And to Edwin’s point, that’s it. Perhaps it takes a non-biased non-football fan to understand the analogy. Thank you!
December 22, 2008 at 5:06 am
no I got the point but the facts were wrong.