Grieving.
Disillusioned that a much-loved icon was discovered to have feet of clay.
Dismayed at the evil revealed in their midst.
Student Andrew Hanselman writes in the college paper about happier days: “Being accepted to Penn State felt like a family, and Joe Paterno was the father.”
An Undercurrent Of Sadness
“It’s as if an undercurrent of sadness and confusion carries us to our classrooms beneath the shadow of that grand football stadium,” relates English professor Heather Holleman in her blog Live with Flair.
Dr. Holleman prompts a discussion in her class. “I ask the freshmen how they feel, and they say that they ‘don’t want this terrible news to be what our school is remembered for.’ College students from other schools tease them on Facebook and on Twitter and make jokes about their great university. Their hearts are broken for the children harmed. They feel humiliated. They feel deceived.”
The day after Penn State students rioted, Dr. Holleman writes, “I can’t escape the reality of sin today. On this day, I cry on the bus with others who sit in complete silence as they think about innocent boys abused; as they think about authority figures they mistrust; as they think about a beloved coach who said he wished he’d done more; as they think about their own angered response in rioting.”
“This is the truth about our hearts,” she reminds us. “This is why we so desperately need a Savior.”
Heather Holleman and her husband Ashley are Faculty Commons’ staff at Penn State. In the midst of their own sadness, they are speaking God’s words of hope—for forgiveness, redemption, and renewal—to the students, faculty, and staff at Penn State.
Someday…
Penn State alum Michael Weinreb writes about hope at ESPN.com: “I can only hope…that we will reexamine every aspect of the culture we’ve fostered…and that someday our community will be whole again.”
The Hollemans are reminding their community that the wholeness they seek can only be found in Jesus, who offers justice for the oppressed, redemption for sinners, and the power to make a fresh start to all who seek Him.
Paterno statue © flickr audreyjm529