BYU

There was a lot of buzz this morning over the fact that Brigham Young University dismissed basketball player, Brandon Davies, for violating the school Honor Code. He had premarital sex with his girlfriend. Oh, and the BYU basketball was #3 in the nation and eyeing a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. They lost, without Davies, last night to lowly New Mexico. Oh, well.

 

My undergraduate school also had an Honor Code we agreed to upon accepting our admission. Much of this morning's buzz made fun of the code, Mormons in general and felt the punishment was extreme or unfair. "Play for my team!" they cried.

 

But what about giving our word and agreeing to abide by the norms of a school, church, marriage, a job or the military (among many others?) Our word does not seem to mean as much as it once did. "My word" once meant, "I will follow through no matter what the cost." Today, it seems to mean, "I will follow through until something better comes along."

 

What happens to life when we can no longer count on each other to follow through on our word? Recount when was the last time you followed through at great personal sacrifice. What does your word mean?

 

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!   Philippians 2:5-8