Who am I?

Steve McNair, former Tennessee Titan quarterback, died recently in a murder/suicide. It is a great tragedy, and makes my heart ache to know that his wife and children are left behind - widowed and orphaned - and now subject to a lot of public scrutiny because of the circumstances surrounding McNair's death. He was having an affair with the young woman who shot him and then killed herself.

While I am saddened for his wife and children, I am shocked and mystified by the response to his death by teammates, his pastor, and the public in general. His pastor cries out, "Drop your stone..." and then states "What I do know about this man was that he loved God though he was just like us: imperfect, but he knew God.” People have flocked to the stadium to leave cards and flowers, trinkets, take pictures, and bemoan the loss of this "beautiful man." Close friends, teammates, and fans have claimed that they will try not to remember the circumstances of his death, to judge his actions, and to always think of him as a good man.

This just puzzles me. If McNair is lifted up as such a "good man" and "Christian man", then why are we talking about him now? It certainly isn't because of some "good" deed he has done. In fact, no one has actually stated a factual "good deed" to place on McNair - just a blanket statement of general goodness. But, we are not talking about McNair because of this goodness, we are talking about McNair because he broke his vows to his wife and children, and his choices left them ultimately and totally abandoned - widowed and orphaned.

I can't even begin to say whether or not McNair was a true Christian. It is entirely possible that he was a Christian and fell into a season of sin. This does happen to us as Christians. Through great mercy and grace from God, we are brought back to God after this season of sin with deep repentance and a change in our lives. I don't know if this had or was occurring with McNair. I certainly pray it did happen.

What I find amazing and incredible is that he is excused of his bad behavior by claiming that he was in a state of transition. He was no longer the star quarterback, he was simply the retired football player. He was trying to find himself - to answer the age old question of "who am I?" He had an identity crisis. That makes his behaviour okay, understandably, excusable, and admirable - right??

Absolutely not!

No where in the bible will we find these types of behaviours excused, admired, or laudable in any way. The sins of the saints, prophets, and great men and women of the bible are recorded - not as laudable things to emulate, but as examples. They are warnings as to what happens when we disobey; they are examples of God's long suffering, patience, kindness and grace; they are to show the effects of sin on families and generations (not just the initial sinner, but his children and his children's children); and they are proof that none are so mighty as to escape the natural consequences of sin nor to miss out on blessings from God because of those sins. They are proclaimed as sin, judged as sin, and denounced as sin. God be praised that he brought the saints to repentance and showed his mercy and grace on sinners by saving them from the punishment of eternal hell.

What if McNair's identity was firmly grounded in his "Christianity?" What a different picture we may have had. Perhaps we would truly be discussing his "good deeds" because we would see the grace, mercy, and generous work that God would do through him. Perhaps we would see his family as a great pillar and example of the Christian church, instead of seeing them left without their earthly protector and now prey to who-knows-what. What will become of this family without it's strong male influence, without someone to impart the family morals and values, without someone to defend them against whatever threatens their unity and identity? (Fathers and mothers let us beware of our grave selfish acts and how they can affect our children - even to the third and fourth generations!)

Let this be a great warning to us as Christians. Our definition is NOT in what we do or how the world labels us - mother, wife, husband, father, banker, home-maker, artist, dancer, lawyer, man, woman, white, black, child, adult, etc... Our identity is deeply rooted and grounded in Christ. We are HIS children, HIS property, "for you are bought with a price," and examples of HIM. (1Cor 6:20, 7:23) We are Christians - we just happen to be Christian's who are mother's, fathers, bankers, home-makers, etc... We are Christians first, and we work out our Christianity in whatever offices we find ourselves. Our identity and new nature is Christ, our minds and behaviors should reflect Christ.

Read Philippians - Paul's letter where he says that he was the "Hebrew of Hebrews" - yet counted all his earthly accomplishments and recognition as dung in comparison to knowledge and relation to Christ. I pray we all have the same attitude.