A Terrible Crime - A Tough Test For A Christian

This past Friday was a very eventful day, not for me so much, but for a friend of mine.  But what happened to him, based on his choices, was heartbreaking, and was a terrible blow to him and to those who knew him and felt like they could trust him.

On Friday I was devastated to learn that this man was arrested in what was called a "human trafficking" investigation in Midland County.  Various agencies, from Homeland Security to the Midland Police Department, were involved in "Operation Damascus."  This investigation, in spite of the somewhat dramatic title of "human trafficking," was actually a "sting" in which a police officer went to various social media sites and chat rooms online, and pretended to be a child under age eighteen.  A total of thirty-seven individuals, men and women, solicited the "minor" for sex.  As these persons then arrived at a certain residence to meet the "minor," they were instead greeted by the inter-agency "Damascus" team, and arrested for various charges relating to prostitution, soliciting minors online, soliciting persons under the age of sixteen for sex, and promoting prostitution.

Unfortunately one of the persons arrested, as I mentioned, was a person known to many of us in the area, and trusted by many people to be around their children.  This person, in fact, even served as a volunteer school crossing guard at a local elementary right up to the day he was arrested.  Worse, this man was trusted by parents and church members to actually care for their children on a limited basis.  So you can well imagine the betrayal and fear many people felt when they learned of this man's arrest for his part in Operation Damascus.

I am not posting this blog to judge this man, in fact I will not even name him here.  He is easy enough to find, if you are interested.  Just "Google" Operation Damascus.  I am writing about this situation because it sometimes needs to be restated that we may never really know a person as well as we think we do.  I am posting to remind us all that even if we come to trust someone, we must still keep a close watch on our children or on the children of others, such as children in a church or school.  The parents may not be able to spot a potential child molester, but other people might.  I am also posting this to say again that when one gets a "gut feeling" about another person, when one feels the neck hairs prickling, when one notices that even small children seem somewhat afraid of a person, one should not disregard all of these little signs even though others may think the person in question is "okay" or that he or she "just loves" children.

I am mostly chiding myself because I, a former police officer and a former child welfare investigator, one who was specifically TRAINED in the recognition of persons who might POSSIBLY be child molesters, or who at least bear watching, failed to follow my own advice, that is, to follow my own gut instincts.  Because so many others around flocked around this person and championed him as a person who loved children and wanted to help children and their parents in any way he could, because of this, I let my own guard down, and I failed to act on my "gut feeling," my suspicions, if you will.  Yes, the first time I met this person I quickly developed an uneasy feeling as I saw him interacting with the children of our church, and with their parents.  Yes, I know...church is a place where Christians gather, thus by definition, child molesters WOULD NOT be there.  But, actually, the church is made up of sinners.  We are all sinners, we all fall short of the glory of God.  So, in the spirit of Christianity, and seeing all the other people who felt no sort of trepidation concerning this man, I put my own feelings aside.  And I made a mistake.

When a person is arrested for a crime, whether a fairly minor thing such as shoplifting, or a more serious and heinous thing such as soliciting a minor child online for sexual purposes, there are a couple of things to remember.  First, and of very high importance to me, a person IS NOT GUILTY of crime just because the person is arrested.  The person is not guilty of a crime just because he is indicted.  A person must be presumed innocent (at least in court) until a prosecutor provides evidence that proves the person did indeed commit the alleged crime.  So this man, though he has been arrested, and has betrayed our trust, is still entitled to both a fair trial, and to be treated as an innocent man until he is either convicted or he pleads guilty to the crime with which he is charged.  This can be challenging for you and me, particularly if the crime is heinous and disgusting, such as attempting to meet a minor girl at her home for sex.  I want to treat my friend (yes, my friend) fairly and with an open mind, but at the same time I want to be sure that any children that may come near him are safe until the matter is settled in court.  He is an innocent man at this point, but one must err on the side of caution when it comes to keeping children safe.

When a church member, a person with whom other members have shared private troubles and cares, is arrested for a crime or is otherwise brought into question for some reason, it is doubly hard to live out one's belief as a Christian, that is, that no matter what one's sin might be, Jesus has already died for that person and his sins, and that person has but to turn back to the Good Shepherd for forgiveness.  For the other members of the church, it can be very challenging indeed to allow this person back into the congregation, let alone to FORGIVE the person for that thing that he may or may not have done. Indeed, for many it may be much easier to forgive a murderer than one who is suspected of abusing or attempting to abuse children.  And the Good Book tells us that if one causes a little child to stumble, it is better for that person not to have been born at all.  Again, however, if the person has turned back to God and begged for forgiveness, the Lord will forgive him.  Even if Christians find themselves unable to do so at present.  This is indeed a hard thing.

I cannot be too hard on this person even though I am appalled and disgusted at the alleged crime.  I cannot be too hard on this man because, like him, I have failed and betrayed those I love.  We all know people that we love and respect, AND TRUST, but are yet betrayed or "let down" be these people at one time or another.  Sometime we ourselves are the ones who do the "letting down."  The New Testament and the Old are both replete with people in positions of trust and authority who gave in to temptation or fear, who failed...yet failed in one instance only.  From King David to Saint Peter, many great men and women failed at one time or another.  But one failure is not the summary of their entire lives or their entire walk with God.  This is a trying time for our little church, and trying time for the man in question, as well.  It is a very difficult test for us, and for him.  But the truth is that this man indeed failed...in THIS instance...but not in the entirety of his walk with God.  Whether mere mortal Christians are able to forgive him, if he gives his life back to God, the Lord will forgive him.  In time, maybe those of us on this earthly plane can forgive him as well. 

 

Cliff Kingsbury On The Hot Seat, There, I Said It!

I am a die-hard Texas Tech Red Raider fan, and I really don't have any legitimate reason to be.  I am not an alumnus nor have I ever had any connection at all with the school, but I was bitten by the Red Raider bug in the mid-Seventies when Rodney Allison was leading a thrilling, come-from-behind team that always played the game right up to the last second, sometimes defeating such football giants as the Longhorns and the Aggies with hail-Mary, goal line busting passes that left the opponents' jawbones laying on the still-warm astroturf.

Later on I was thrilled to watch the great performances of such legendary quarterbacks as Sonny Cumby, Zebbie Lethridge, and...Cliff Kingsbury.  These guys could always be counted on to snatch victory right out of the jaws of defeat, always with some trick or another up their sleeves.  Time after time they led the Raiders in comebacks that rarely started before the bottom of the 4th quarter, and usually only after the Raiders had generously spotted their opponents at least a thirty-point lead.

Of all those quarterbacks, Cliff Kingbury was my favorite.  He did not always win, but he always played an exciting football game.  Even when the Raiders lost, it always felt like they had played a very good ball game.  So I was more than happy when Kingsbury was recruited to be the Tech head coach after Tommy Tuberville's rather ungracious departure.  I knew that Kingsbury was not experienced as a head coach, but he had learned under the best, and he had coaching experience as well.  Kingsbury was responsible for producing several amazing quarterbacks during his tenure as quarterback coach for the Houston Cougars, and Texas A&M, where he developed the already talented Johnny Manziel, the only freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.  Kingsbury was well-versed in offensive tactics, but not so much on the defensive side.  But he would have a staff of coaches who would cover that aspect when he took the rein at Texas Tech.

Cliff Kingsbury met my expectations the first year, when everyone knew he was at the bottom of a rebuilding program.  Tuberville may have taken preemptive action by jumping ship before the wreck hit the bottom, which was fine with me, since it opened the way for Cliff Kingsbury.  I am sure Tuberville had seen the writing on his wall.  Kingsbury had his work cut out for himself, but he also had some good quarterbacks to work with.  The Red Raiders played hard and won some games under Kingsbury, but they never put together a conference winning season, or even posted a break-even conference record.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have had two overall winning seasons under Kingsbury, so that means two years of over fifty-percent winnings.  Unfortunately, none of those years include conference titles, and this rankles many Red Raider boosters, who have the ear of Tech administrators.  I believe Cliff Kingsbury finally came to realize over the past football season that he MUST have a balanced football team in 2017.  For several years now, the Tech defense has not been able to significantly slow any major team's offense.  Even with a fine quarterback such as Patrick Mohames, who put incredible numbers on the board, Texas Tech could not beat many teams due to their very lackluster defense.  The Red Raiders were one of the highest scoring college teams last year, and one of the VERY WORST defensive teams.  The Raiders racked up an average of 43 points per game, sometimes as many as 69 points, but still only won three games in 2016 Big Twelve play, five games overall.  The villagers with their torches and pitchforks have gathered at the gates, screaming for Cliff's head.

I believe that Cliff Kingsbury can rebuild the Red Raiders, but only if he continues to accent growth on the defensive side.  In 2016, the Red Raiders scored over thirty points in nine different games.  Of those nine games, the Raiders only won four. All of those wins were by a margin of 14 points or more.  Of the twelve games played that year, the opposing offense scored over thirty points against the Red Raiders NINE times, as well.  As the Raiders proved, it is hard to win football games under those conditions even when the Red Raiders offense posted fifty points or more.  Most football teams only rack up fifty points every three or four ballgames.  Tech's defense MUST rise to the occasion this year!

Kingsbury has his challenge ahead, and I have to say it, he is in the hot seat this year.  I am probably the last person to admit this to himself.  Kingsbury, of course, is aware of it.  So is the Tech administration.  The VERY LAST THING they want to do is fire a legend like Kingsbury, one of their own. Talking heads across the sports networks have been wagging their tongues on this subject for at least two years, calling for his replacement with more and more frequency.  This has to be Kingsbury's year, and I am confident that it will be.  My own prediction is that the Red Raiders will score a little lower per game this year, but their defense will slow down their opponents' offense quite a bit, keeping the game within winning distance.

Kingsbury IS in the hot seat, but he will earn his place there this year...

Guns Up, Red Raiders!!

Happy July 4th, God Bless America!

Here we are once again, celebrating the "4th of July," America's "Independence Day!"  Most of us celebrate by staying home from work, having cookouts, and lighting fireworks.  I believe most Americans pause for a moment, however briefly, and at least think of the Declaration of Independence and the fact that it was signed on this day some two hundred and forty-one years.  Some of us can even name a signer or two.  One thing that we may not think about is that the War For Independence drug on for nearly a DECADE after the Colonies declared their freedom!

The mighty British Army, the strongest military force in the world in 1776, had a great laugh when the thirteen American colonies (thus thirteen stripes on the Star-Spangled Banner - free trivia) ratified the Declaration of Independence.  Great Britain was the strongest colonial power of the time, and no single "native" militia or regular military could stand against the mighty British Army.  Nation after nation had come under the rule of the Crown of England over the past hundred years or so before 1776, but England's dominance over the "New World" was at its zenith, although some leaders did not realize it the time.  It is possible that the brilliant men who would become known as the "Framers" of the Constitution of the United States were "savvy" to this.  Whether that was the case nor not, the timing of the "American Revolution" was key to its outcome. While the British Army was a fine military machine, it was being stretched to its limit as colonial enterprises spread across at least five continents.  Were the Framers aware of this factor?  No doubt George Washington was well aware of this, and knew it would be in the Colonists' favor.

The Founding Fathers (aka the Framers) also believed the colonists had another advantage.  While the British Army would have to receive military supplies and soldiers from across the seas, the colonists had most of what they needed at home.  What they could not get or make for themselves, the French government was eager to supply. But perhaps the biggest factor in favor of the colonists (now Rebels) was the "home court" advantage.  These men (and a few women, also) had their friends and loved ones close to them, while British soldiers could only "pine" for their loved ones hundreds of miles across the ocean.  At the same time, British families could only wonder about their soldiers fighting so far from home, and could only wait for their return, whether alive or in caskets. 

As the fighting went on, first for a year, then for fives years, with no end in sight, the citizens of England began clamoring for an end to the war, and demanding that their soldiers be brought home.  The English Crown, once so sure of a short, swift victory, came to realize that the American colonists were not growing tired of the war, and indeed, were beginning to see moderate successes here and  there. The French war supplies were helping the colonists as well.  Eventually the Crown indeed tired of war in North America.  There was little advantage in continued fighting, plus a settlement with the colonists would keep American possessions out of French hands.  So, seven long years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, and after Lord Cornwallis was soundly defeated, the British and the new American delegation worked out a peace agreement in Paris.  The independence of America was recognized and the fighting came to a halt.  So, freedom, the original American dream, was realized, at least by most Americans of the time.

Today America is thriving though we have endured many tests over the years.  Not the perfect America yet, but we still have time to work on that.  I cannot think of anywhere I would rather live than right here in the United States of America.  Yes, not a perfect country, and a nation that is maligned by so many of its own citizens.  Yet the millions of people entering the nation, legally and illegally, every year testifies to the greatness of this nation.  Even our mortal enemies are coming here by the numbers, because they are not tolerated by the leaders in their own lands.

So once again, I say God Bless America, Let Freedom Ring...

Thank you, our Founding Fathers, for giving us a place where we can still pursue our dreams of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

A big thanks to all those who over the years have fight, and many died, to gain freedom and to keep our nation free.  Your service is not forgotten!

Today is Sunday, the Lord's Day for Christians, but today is also the day I learned that a young police officer in San Antonio had succumbed to a gunshot wound to his head that he suffered on Thursday afternoon - yes, in broad daylight during a "non-dangerous" time of day.  His sacrifice reminded me of words Jesus Himself told us in John 15:13


Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.


Officer Miguel Moreno lived those words with his last breath.  He and fellow officer Julio Cavazos responded to a suspicious person call, wherein two men were seen breaking into a parked car.  As the officers got out of their patrol car an animal who should already have been caged (based on his lengthy record of felony arrests in Louisiana) opened fire with a handgun, striking both officers, fatally injury Officer Moreno.

In yet another act of bravery, Officer Cavazos, hit in the face with one shot, pulled Officer Moreno out of the immediate line of fire, then meted out swift justice to the animal, who was still firing at the time.  At some point during the short gunfight Officer Cavazos was struck again, but the gunman died seconds later.  The second criminal there had some bit of decency left.  He followed the wounded officer's instructions and waited at the scene to be arrested by assisting officers.  The man claimed he did not realize that the other intended to kill police officers.  Whether or not that is true is only known by that man and the Lord, but his actions tend to support his statement. 

Officer Miguel Moreno was only 32 years old.  Both he and his partner had been with SAPD for nine years.

Thank you, Officer Moreno for your service.  I know that Thin Blue Line up there is one hero greater tonight.

Thank you, Officer Cavazos, for your service and your bravery as well.  You also lived out those words spoken by the Good Shepherd over two thousand years ago.  My prayers, and those of thousand of others are with you as we pray for your recovery.

Also we remember your families, and your fellow officers who lost a friend and so very nearly lost another.

May God watch over all peace officers and their counterparts, the correctional officers serving us as they risk their lives in America's jails and prisons.