Do Right

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked". (Psalm 82:3-4)

Like thousands upon thousands of you my heart is hurting for those suffering children as we witness the horror of the news unfolding before our eyes at Penn State. In the midst of all this I was blessed to learn that while some students acted out their pain by throwing a temper tantrum (riot) a large number gathered on campus to pray for the children who have grown into young men and their families. The wait for justice was too long for saving. The healing had to begin without it.  Honestly to do the right thing now won't make up for the past but it will guard the future. 

Though we are living in a society of moral decay I think we'd all like to believe that given the same set of circumstances we would have done the right thing for the kids. Judging from hindsight does not really give anyone a clear picture of what it looks like or what it costs to be a person who does the right thing.

In the fifth century (early 400's A.D.) a little monk named Telemachus was led by an inner voice to go to Rome without knowing why. At that particular time in history the Romans held gladiator events that were loved and cherished by the people much like our football is cherished today. Back then the honored sport had grown so much in popularity that it had become a 'god' to the people. Telemachus followed the crowds to the Coliseum.  He was appalled to witness two gladiators fighting to the death.  Moved by his compassion for the sanctity of life Telemachus tried to get between them to stop them, shouting three times, "In the name of Christ, forbear!" Telemachus was stoned to death by the furious crowd, enraged that someone would dare to interfere with their "entertainment."  Because of Telemachus' death, three days later, the Emperor by decree ended the Games.  One man dared to do the right thing. One man who loved God stood for God's Word and evil was squelched.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken". (Psalm 82:5)

A pearl to string: Would a better moral climate at Penn State University and the surrounding community have changed the behavior of an alleged pedophile?....  probably not.  Would a better moral climate at the University and in the community have changed the response of those who saw what was happening? I believe it would have. Do Universities and communities across this nation share in the decline of morality? I believe we all do. Moving away from God is moving into disaster. 

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". (Micah 6:8)

We're in this life together... We've tried the 'me, me, me' method and it's not working so well.  Each person has to choose who they will serve. For my husband and I and our household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

He loves all of us,

                       Lyndi