Why don't you understand me?
I only told you 314 times...

As a follow-up to one of my latest posts regarding the Brokenness of Humanity in the midst the Sandusky scandal, it is only fitting then to comment on the latest buzz.

The Freeh report is the latest installment of buzz that has the media rooms busy and gallons of coffee being consumed as the fallout from the scandal continues.  One of the most striking statements within the Freeh report comments on the lack of care that was given to each victim by various key individuals.

Among many voices that were speaking when the news first broke in November 2011 was that of Tim Henderson, campus leader of Penn State Cru.  He was one of the first to call out the lack of care for the victims. In his talk to the Penn State campus, named Love Notices Wet Hair, Tim stated:

At Penn State, we have been asking questions about obligation all week. Who is obligated to report what to whom? Who is legallyobligated to report sexual abuse of a child, and to whom must they report it? Who is morally obligated to report sexual abuse of a child, and to whom must they report it? Is there a difference between moral obligation and legal obligation?  Jesus responded to the heart of that question in his famous story about the Good Samaritan. Surprisingly though, He didn't actually answer that question, He answered a more important one.  Who is my neighbor? is the wrong question. According to Jesus, the right question is "Am I a neighbor?" It's not "Who must I love?" It's "Am I one who loves?"

Tim went on to say that obligation was not the issue at all, but rather LOVE was the issue.  Tim was also quick to point out that although we wanted to point fingers, we as students also suffered from the same sickness of the heart.

I've heard of students questioning what this means about the value of their degree, or the future of the football program. Really? You're young. As I'd had conversations with many I've realized that your moral compasses are still being built. You're still filling in the blank spaces about what's right and wrong in different situations. But can I just poke you a little bit? Those questions should be way down your list. If it was your little brother, your son being raped in a shower by a 50 year old man, would those questions even occur to you?

So we all suffer from this lack of love.  Why is it so hard?  The word "love" appears 314 times in the bible, so it is not like it is some obscure truth.  It is one we hear a lot and it is one that shows a clear disconnect.  We all yearn for this "peace" in the world that can be achieved through love, yet it seems so difficult and to constantly evade us.

The Resurgence is an organization that serves the church on mission by creating tools, training believers, and connecting leaders. They have a very active "blogosphere" and have recently posted the provocative title "Love-Making".  This piece methodically states the double condition of the heart: the broken and sinful side that leads to a destructive world juxtaposed with a mended and loving heart through the Holy Spirit.  In relation to the aforementioned "disconnect", as bluntly stated by Justin Holcomb:

Love is our problem. Moreover, the command to love doesn’t generate in us the ability to fulfill it. We can be told over and over that we ought to love, but being told to do so doesn’t make it possible for us to accomplish it. The command to love actually condemns us, because we all fail.

There is, however, a hope in all things.  Justin goes on to say that we are freed from condemnation and are thus freed to love, knowing love from He who loved us first.

The world is broken and this brokenness is rooted in an absence of love.  We are called to restore Creation to what it once was intended, but we will always be examining and restoring our own hearts, perhaps 314 times over.