Transparency

Jim Tressel, the coach of the Ohio State football team, resigned today. In Buckeye Land, where football is a religion, this is bad news. The NCAA is investigating all sorts of stories about the antics of State players, antics the coach, the Athletic Director, and even the President of OU should have monitored and corrected. But that is not the reason Coach Tressel resigned.

 

Jim Tressel resigned because he lied (I think I am supposed to add "allegedly here.) He lied to the NCAA investigating committee. He lied to cover up. Now, we may believe the NCAA rules are fussy and too voluminous. We may think no coach can know all the weird behavior her or his athletes are up to. But a coach can tell the truth. So can you and I.

 

What if everything you and I said were broadcast on ABC and Twittered or Facebooked to thousands of followers? What would be exposed about us? Would we have to "resign?"

 

Jesus encouraged the transparent life. The Truth sets us free.  He embraced the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) life. He was transparent so we could see and know the Father. He was transparent so God could act directly through a human being. People we remember as saints are people who were transparent. A transparent life points to God. A transparent life acts on God's behalf. A transparent life is power.

 

God has something awesome in store for us through us, provided you and I remain transparent or return to transparency once we realize it. You are the vehicle for some of God's greatest work. We need you. And God allows as many "do-over's" as we need.

 

Embrace transparency. We cannot afford one more follower of Christ to resign.