Celebrity media frenzy
Just as I did during the Tiger Woods media frenzy, the one involving an angry woman practising her golf swing on the man she discovered made birdie, I toiled for a while about whether or not to write a post on the controversy surrounding Chelsea and England star John Terry.
Part of my apprehension was that I’m not particularly interested in the lives of celebrities, and that I didn’t want to jump on the Terry band wagon. Also, though it may come as a surprise to some, unlike many guys I know, I’m not an ardent follower of the beautiful game they call football (or soccer if you’re from across the pond), so felt a bit of a fraud about making comment about a player who has been described as national hero of the game.
But following some interaction on Facebook and Twitter, and the increased intrigue and revelations, I succumbed to the power of the keyboard and touch pad and got typing.
Liberal or judgemental?
One of the things that caused my hesitation was knowing how hard it would be to express a view without sounding either liberal or judgemental. After all, I know that I’m not perfect, and I wouldn’t want to be seen as ‘throwing a stone’ at a guy who has done what many of us do (in varying degrees) everyday – mess up!
The remarkable thing in this story though has been the division of opinion among those I’ve spoken to. Interestingly, while some may not have interpreted it this way, they were clearly of the mindset that gifting is more important than character, being of the opinion that John Terry’s contribution to the national football team, and in raising the nation’s hopes of world cup success, are of more significance than how he conducts his private life.
On the other hand there were those who agreed that though none of us are perfect, and that we all make mistakes, with his status and profile, it’s equally true that he has a responsibility to the public and therefore needs to be held accountable for his conduct.
Clearly, in the eyes of many, John Terry is seen as a role model. So the question arises, ‘If there are no consequences for his ‘repeated’ behaviour, what message would that send to his admirers about the importance of moral integrity?’ Many would argue, not a good one.
Drawing the line
I wonder; had Terry been exposed for committing a ‘crime,’ such as theft, rape or even child abuse, whether there would be any debate about his suitability as the nation’s captain? Maybe there would. Maybe there wouldn’t. It could be argued from a legal standpoint that his conduct wasn’t illegal. Fair enough, but neither is swearing at your grandmother!
For me the debate surrounding this story highlights something of the dangers in blurring the lines of morality that lead to a society with increased tolerance towards the very things that God opposes, which leads me to consider under what circumstances we’re prepared to say, ‘that’s not right.’ Okay, he’s just a footballer and as such he doesn’t have the power of an oppressive dictator whose moral imbalances could threaten the lives of thousands, but for many young children, including one of my 8 year old sons who likes Chelsea FC, he has huge influence both on and off the pitch.
Surely these are the things that need to be considered when giving thought to whether he should be the nation’s ‘captain.’
Unfortunately for John Terry and those closest to him, his actions have caught up with him. But we know that for those who come clean, God, in his grace, forgives and reconciles (1 John 1:9). But though this is true, it doesn’t remove the fact that there will always be ramifications for the choices we make.
So, in view of what we see in the media with John Terry, Tiger Woods, and a string of others, let’s be reminded that it’s by the grace of God that we make it through each day.
What do you think?
In view of the alleged affairs should John Terry have lost his captaincy?
How do you think this will impact England’s World Cup chances?
