A Gift on the Gridiron and the Need to Forgive

This past Sunday, an NFL official made a wrong call. This does not surprise us. We all know that officials in every sport are human ... and to quote Alexander Pope, "to err is human." (Pope by the way is generally regarded as the greatest English poet of the eighteenth century - are you impressed that I know that? Don't be. I merely looked it up on the Internet!) Now what made referee Ed Hochuli's blown call so bad was that it enabled the Denver Broncos to win the game against their rival, the San Diego Chargers. This week, Hochuli has not only acknowledged his mistake, he has profusely apologized for his blunder. But for many, his apology is unacceptable. According to an account on Fox Sports.com, Hochuli is receiving hundreds of email from irate Charger fans ... each one dripping with hatred for the man in stripes.

Now if I were a Charger's fan, I am sure I would be upset. It's bad enough when your team loses - but to have the game given away by someone else! That's a tough pill to swallow. Yet all of us will be wronged! Most times, when this happens, (as was the case with this blown call) the one "committing the crime" is not doing so intentionally. We must learn to give others "the benefit of the doubt" (usually something we reserve only for ourselves). And for those of us who claim to follow the Son of God - we must remember that Pope also said, "to forgive is divine." So if we want to become more like Jesus (who is divine) - then we must learn to be quick to forgive - which is exactly what the Bible commands us to do! (see Colossians 3:13)

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj