Some thoughts on Penn State's situation and our situation in light of today's readings.

Scripture Verse that caught my attention today: 1 Corinthians 10:24 Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.

Observation: This is a basic Christian principle that is often overlooked.

Application: The current Penn State scandal began with an indictment alleging that a prominent person in power took advantage of a number of other people (in this case young boys) with less power.

Ironically, we actually applaud such behavior on the athletic field and in business, expecting teams, companies and/or individuals to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses. But, of course, in interpersonal relations, and most especially intimate relationships, society understands that taking advantage of another is wrong. It’s an unfair and sometimes dastardly abuse of power. We rightly have laws against such things.

The Apostle Paul, it appears, would agree. He instructs followers of Jesus not to seek their own advantage. He himself endeavors to demonstrate as much and he applies the principle to nearly all aspects of life. Nearly.

Sports, according to Paul, is the one area where competition is the norm. He tells people to “run in such a way that you may win.”

Unfortunately, we often have difficulty distinguishing the arena of sports from the rest of life. For example, we don’t want the companies we invest in to seek the advantage of the other because, if they do, our stock options might go down in value. And that’s just one example.

Consider, if you dare, the number of areas in your own life where you often seek your own advantage rather than that of another. It might take some thought because sometimes, in the process of seeking our own advantage, we delude ourselves into thinking that we’re actually helping someone else when we’re really not. Sick as it sounds, it would not surprise me if Jerry Sandusky convinced himself that he was ‘helping’ some of his alleged victims. Our efforts to seek our own advantage are hopefully far less horrific, but not necessarily any less misguided.

Authentically seeking the advantage of another is not easy. But it is Christian. And the one who offers the ultimate model of seeking the advantage of others rather than of himself is none other than the Christ from whom Christians get their name.

Prayer: Lord, help us to follow your example and, instead of focusing our outrage and disappointment on people that we will likely never meet, let us consider our own areas of influence where we daily have opportunity to personally follow Christ’s example and Paul’s admonition. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Psalm 122 and 1 Corinthians 9-11)