Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15

Thou shalt not steal a football game by deflating the ball. NFL Rules.
The football world is all abuzz. Last week the New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts to take the AFC championship and earn the right to go to the Super Bowl. But following the victory, the league discovered that the 12 balls provided for the game by the Patriots had b in under inflated, making them easier to throw. The big question now is who did this and who knew about it. And of course, what can be done about it? Do the Patriots forfeit the game? TV demands a Super Bowl, so a replay is not an option. And who should pay the consequences: the whole team, the quarterback who must have felt that something was wrong with the ball, or whoever incorrectly inflated or intentionally deflated the balls?

Ethics is the process of living our our faith in our daily actions. There isn’t always a cut and dry, simple answer to the question of what God demands. We know, for example, that we are not to steal. But does that apply to deflating the balls to win a game? And who should be held accountable for such an action? Most often, our life choices are more complex than should I steal or not, should I kill or not, should I lie or not. Ou decisions are nuanced and difficult.

That is why church community is so important to us. In the context of community we can discuss the choices before us. With others who seek to follow Jesus we can explore the areas of grey in our lives, those places that are not clearly black and white, but instead have wriggle room. Together with a community to which we are ac
countable, in a context of a body of b believers, we can work to discern God’s will for our lives.

I don’t know what the NFL Commissioner will decide about Deflategate, but I do know that we are blessed to call Grove our home. It is a place where we can talk about the decisions we face, where we can share honestly about the temptations we face, and where we can support one another in discerning God’s will for our lives.

Prayer: Gracious God, you have called us to live holy lives, to be holy people who live according to your will for us. Grant me the wisdom to know your will and the courage to do it. Let me find in my faith community those whose discernment will help me to live a life that is pleasing to you. for the sake of your son, Jesus.