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FIRST PERSON: The curious case of Michael Vick by Brett Maragni Date: May 5, 2009 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--Michael Vick was going to be the Michael Jordan of the NFL. He was going to transform the quarterback position. He was going to mesmerize football fans everywhere. Back when he decided to go pro, the debate was over the question: just how great would he become?Times have changed. Now the debate is about whether he should be given another chance to play in the NFL. Tony Dungy says he should. In a recent interview with Dan Patrick, Dungy stated that he is going to meet with Vick to “talk about life, to talk about the Lord. … I know that he’s made a profession that he’s accepted the Lord into his life and I want to talk to him about that and what he’s going to face. Most people are going to be against him.” Dungy says Vick should get another chance. But the pathway will not be easy because, the retired NFL coach says, “Most people aren’t into second chances.” Christians are into second chances. And third chances. And fourth … and on and on. Christians are also into appropriate justice. “An eye for an eye” was not given by the Lord as permission for vengeance but rather as a safeguard to limit the punishment for crimes to their appropriate level. God understood that the depraved human heart wants justice and then some. The evil deeds Vick did, as despicable as they were, have led to public outcry and shaming that perhaps exceeds the nature of the crime. Whether or not one agrees with this assertion, it’s hard to argue with the truth of this injustice: Vick spent eight months locked up for his crimes against canines and is not back in the NFL. Leonard Little received 90 days in jail for killing a person and is still suiting up for the Rams, even after getting drunk a second time and getting behind the wheel. Vick has clearly expressed sorrow and regret. As far as this writer knows, Little has never apologized to the family of Susan Gutweiler. The apostle Paul taught in Romans 1 that when people reject God their entire moral system gets turned upside down, which is exactly why people today are more offended by the idea of Vick, dog killer, making a comeback rather than being outraged that someone who foolishly took another human being’s life is suiting up every Sunday during the season. My hope and prayer is that Vick will fulfill his potential as a person of character, becoming a trophy of God’s grace, with a powerful testimony to the God of second chances. Whether or not he plays another down in the NFL is secondary. --30-- Brett Maragni is senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel of Jacksonville, Fla.
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