The Price of a Soul

Psalm 80 says:
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

Our God is a God of restoration...only He can bring healing for our souls.   In our humanity, we medicate our emotional pain through a variety of things - drugs and alcohol are common vices, or more innocuous activities, perhaps diving in to our work, or recreational activities, media consumption, or the pursuit of materialism.   More money cannot soothe the deep needs of our souls that only Christ can meet.   He promises true and permanent healing, a right relationship with Him can take us on a road to making things right in our hearts and minds.   He is the One who will heal and restore!

Proverbs 10 reminds us about the weight of our words and the way that love covers transgression:
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. Proverbs 18:21 says:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 


NCAA President Mark Emmert, in announcing sanctions against Penn State said that, "No price the NCAA can levy will repair the grievous damage inflicted by Jerry Sandusky on his victims,", referring to the former Penn State defensive coordinator convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse last month.

The NCAA said the $60 million was equivalent to the average annual revenue of the football program. The NCAA ordered Penn State to pay the penalty funds into an endowment for "external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at the university."   The governing body also stripped the school of scholarships, banned it from postseason competition for 4 years, and wins since 1998 under the leadership of former head coach Joe Paterno were vacated.

There has been talk of concern for the victims of the lewd, selfish, and offensive acts of Mr. Sandusky and the coverup of college officials.   But, you still have to ask, "what is the price of a soul?"    Apparently, the victims themselves will not receive any money directly, and you do have to admire that programs dealing with the horror of abuse will have some new revenue.    But, 6 million, 60 million, or 600 million dollars, even if paid directly to each victim will not be able to erase the haunting memories and the emotional trauma that come from these unnatural acts.    Sinful actions done to others can have a permanent effect on the way they live their lives.  If you have been victimized by an abuser, you know what a struggle it is to overcome those events, one-time or ongoing, that may have dramatically altered your course.   Perhaps you have experienced the healing and restoration that is possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ, for it is only through His power that we can experience the freedom that we so desperately seek.

And even short and seemingly insignificant "moments" can alter our lives, as well.  I remember my conversation with Wess Stafford of Compassion International, who discussed the importance of "moments" in the lives, especially children who are so vulnerable.   Perhaps you can identify some life-changing moments, for good or evil, that have an indelible place in your consciousness.   A word spoken in anger or a positive expression of affirmation can penetrate deep into our souls.    And, this can be a word of caution or encouragement to all of us - recognize that our words and deeds can have lasting ramifications.

Through it all, God's power is available to us; His love is unconditional, no matter how deeply we have been wounded.   Remember 1st Peter 4 says that love, God's love, covers a multitude of sins.   If you're hurting today, you can know the healing that can be expressed only by the power of Christ.