BEING THE GOAT

I like football. I’m not a fanatic. I’m not even committed to one particular team. I haven’t had a special team I favored since I left the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Canada for my American friends). I just like a good game, cool plays and a close contest.

There are times I just get too emotional over things I see on TV. I was watching the New England Patriots play the Baltimore Raven’s earlier today and in the last few seconds the Raven’s were marching to the end zone looking to win the game. It seemed possible, but they were stopped and in the last eleven seconds Raven’s kicker Billy Cundiff was sent to tie the game with a 32-yard field goal attempt. He missed. The distance was doable. No one doubted he would make it. The looks on player’s faces on both teams told the story. Shock. No one could believe it. His mistake sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl.

I’m sure Patriot fans were thrilled. Raven fans heartbroken. I watched the few images of Billy leaving the field and wondered what he felt. Like Charlie Brown from Peanuts has experienced — it’s tough being the goat.

I do not know what will be said to Billy, or how many will say it. Can he handle the comments? What about the stares? Will he turn on the sports commentators who will retell his error repeatedly and for many years to come? If he has friends like some I have had, they will remind him more times than he will care to hear.

We have all made mistakes. With all the camera videos around it is possible that some of our bloopers will be taped and played for all to see (if I were a delivery person I would never throw a package over a fence). However, in most cases only a handful will see or know of our embarrassment, shame or sin, We have made many more “errors” that occurred in private and we want them to stay that way. Only we know about them — and God of course.

I would say I am surprised how seldom, even Christians, give so little credence to an all-seeing God. I say that from personal experience. You would think I would be more careful with my actions if I really understood that I am constantly being watched. The good thing about an all-seeing God is that He does not keep throwing it back in our faces. When we ask forgiveness He does not put the tape into storage He destroys the record and does not even remember how badly we blew it. The only one who seems to always remember our worse moments is — ourselves. We know our hearts. We do not forget. For that reason we have a very difficult time accepting God’s forgiveness and believing our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west and remembered no more.

But He has. There is no video. There is no Internet to keep it going on and on and on. Most of us will never be treated like Billy Cundiff. God forgives him, but few others will. I feel the most sorry for Billy Cundiff. We all make errors.