A Pool Hall Prophet

Sports Illustrated featured a very frank cover story on QB Ben Roethlisberger this week. Apparently, his "repulsive behavior" and his track record of "athletic entitlement run amok" have earned him a six game suspension and a shaky job status for the upcoming season. It all came to a head recently when his drunken, out of control antics at a small-town bar crossed the line from outrageous to illegal. Now Pittsburgh fans believe that in spite of his recent public apologies, he is "embarrassing the franchise."

One disgusted fan at an area pool hall told an SI reporter, "They should make him go to church every Sunday. How else is he going to change? Otherwise, the only thing he'll be changing are nightclubs." In a predictable article designed to create buzz and attract readers, here was an insight to raise eyebrows! "How else is he going to change?"

Because the Christian Faith is a big target, we catch lots of arrows- a few of them deservedly. But here's the dirty little secret of which secular types are all too aware: adult character transformation seldom happens, and when it does, Jesus Christ is most commonly the cause! Overcoming destructive habits and addictions is exceedingly hard. Teary-eyed promises and warnings from employers notwithstanding, willpower can fade as quickly as a 149 pound defensive lineman trying to drop a powerful, 250 pound tackle lunging toward the quarterback! Good intentions just aren't enough.

For more than 25 years, the forces of American literature and entertainment have been leading us all on a joyride to freedom. The slogans and catch phrases constantly change,but they always boil down to a simple prescription: "more sex, less God." We've been told endlessly that half the problems in our land can be traced back to our Victorian morality and the secrecy surrounding sex! And the other half of the nation's problems are due to narrow minded Christians. But with our pagan, anything-goes culture now enduring more sexual assaults, failing families, pregnant teens, hopeless high schools, depraved public figures and sexual predators than ever before, I wonder if it's still premature to ask , "Hey, how's that more sex/less God thing working out?"

What does a guy do when he has to look himself in the eye and say, "I've almost thrown it all away?" One of the most terrifying moments in life must surely be the one in which a failed sinner confronts the beast who prowls deep within him, realizing that family, career, reputation, and even happiness are all on the line. First come the public promises: "I'll never do this again." Then comes the cold sweat: "I have never been able to control this maniac inside for long- ever." Where does a guy like that turn for even a glimmer of hope? Is all the news bad news?

That one is easy. The good news can still be found at the cross of Jesus Christ, and in the lives of his followers. That notorious QB in Pittsburgh doesn't need a high priced lawyer, a famous therapist, or a better publicist: he needs the good news of Jesus Christ. To quote a fan down at the pool hall, "How else is he going to change?"

How else is anybody going to change?