not-so-happy valley

I’ve been glued to my twitter feed (@stacysublett) all day following the events as they’ve unfolded about the alleged sex scandal involving former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky.  Even now the tweets are filing in as students are still gathering at a couple of places around campus.  It was the topic of discussion at our pastors’ meeting this morning, and Dan Nold has some wisdom (as usual) for us.  Walt Mueller also wrote a thoughtful post about the situation.  It dominated the local news, and was all the talk on ESPNRadio today.

I don’t know that I have quite gotten my mind around all this and what it means for me and my family, or for our church.  I’m the pastor for the gathering that has the largest contingent of PSU students, and I can only imagine what must be going through their minds and hearts.  Calvary is home to countless PSU students, alums, faculty and staff.  A couple of coaches attend regularly.

As a father, it makes me want to hold my kids a little closer, as if to shelter them from anything like this.  The pain and grief that the young men involved (and their families) must be excruciating.  I know that I can’t protect my children from every harm.  But this is unthinkable…How many more will come forward to state that they were victimized by this man?  How many others have experienced something similar at the hands of someone they were supposed to be able to trust?  How many sit in silence, wrestling with the shame and disgrace/disgust of abuse?

As a man, I am all to familiar with my own faults and sins.  I know that I am broken, that the entire world is broken.  Dan writes that we shouldn’t be surprised when the brokenness and sinful state of our fellow humans spill out onto the front pages, but I suppose that I never expected this to happen in our town.  It makes me wonder how deep the depravity truly goes.  Dan (again) writes: The bad news is that you and I have a greater capacity for mess/sin than we ever realized.  The good news is that we are loved by God far more than we could ever imagine.

Joe Paterno spoke to the students who gathered outside his house to show support for him.  He said that he and his wife will be praying for these young men, and called for us to pray also.  The news media has reported that Joe and PSU President Graham Spanier are on their way out.  Joe’s son denies that anything has been decided.  Some are calling this the end of an era, the final blow for all that we’ve known as Happy Valley.  I don’t know if that’s the case, but it does serve as a wake up call–Our lives are meant to be lived for something bigger than the “glory of Old State,” for more than the sense of belonging that comes from an affinity for the Blue and White.

I don’t know what the next few days will reveal, or how long this will hang over our town like a dark cloud.  But I believe in the God who can restore and redeem, whose grace and love and truth can bring healing and transformation.  Let justice be served, let our hearts be convicted of sin and full of compassion, and may this usher in an era of repentance, humility, and a genuine desire to seek the Kingdom of God.