The Fall of Isiah

So, Isiah Thomas, the head coach of the New York Knicks, was found guilty of sexual harassment today. Not surprisingly, the Internet is abuzz with calls for his suspension and/or resignation. I haven't followed the case too closely, but I have to trust in the judicial system and believe that the jurors who heard the case made the right decision. My musing on this matter does not center around Isiah Thomas perse, but rather on how we should view events like this and how men who claim the name of Jesus should respond in our own lives.

In one article I read concerning the verdict, Michael Rosenberg wrote, "Thomas came off as arrogant in his testimony. Oh, and by the way, he has been incompetent in running his team. There is simply no reason to believe Isaih Thomas should remain in charge of the Knicks." See the following link for the entire story on the Fox Sports web site.http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7289150?MSNHPSMA

Here's my thinking; Isiah is guilty and therefore should be punished. My understanding is that the jury found both Thomas and Madison Square Garden, MSG, guilty of sexual harassment and awarded 11.6 million U.S. (although with the current exchange, Thomas and MSG should be glad it's not Canadian), to former Knicks executive Anucha Browne Sanders, a married mother of three. While MSG and it's chairman James Dolan are on the hook for the money, the jury ruled that Thomas does not have to pay any punitive damages. So, what should happen to Thomas? Calls for his firing, or at the very least suspension, might be appropriate if either option is carried out solely for his guilt in this matter. The suggestion, though, is that his firing should be linked to both his guilt and the fact that the Knicks haven't done squat under his coaching and leadership. I disagree (not with the assessment of his coaching, the Knicks have been terrible), with the idea that both the sexual harassment and the failure of Thomas as a coach are needed in order to form the basis for firing him. Is sexual harassment an offense worthy of firing? I think so. Based on the decision today, I know I wouldn't want one of my daughters going to work for Isaih Thomas. Is failing to deliver a winning team an offense worthy of firing? Maybe so, but that is for Dolan to decide. The linking of the two to justify firing Thomas is the mistake. Just because Knicks fans are fed up with Isaih, that doesn't give them the excuse to piggy back his termination on the guilty verdict. A clear message needs to be sent by Dolan and MSG that they are not going to tolerate this type of behavior from their employees.

That, though, is one man's story. What about the rest of us? As men, where do we fall in the continuum of behavoir? In all probability, most of us fall somewhere between the Isaih Thomas' of the world and God's standard for holiness and purity. No one is going to argue that the day of the boorish, male chauvinist pig has passed (at least I hope no one is going to make that argument), but is having matured past boorish behavior the standard we are called to? The scriptures call us as men to a higher standard of living, to holiness and purity, and to faithfulness and commitment. I don't know if Thomas is a believer or not, although it wouldn't surprise me if in the coming weeks he doesn't suddenly "find Jesus". Let's face it, though, the Christian world doesn't have whole lot on the secular world when it comes to sexual morality. We have had our fair share of leaders who have fallen and our divorce rate isn't any better than that of those outside the church. Today, in light of this latest high profile case, men who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ need to rededicate themselves to conduct and living that goes beyond merely holding immorality and poor behavoir up for ridicule and contempt. Being committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives, loving our wives and children or remaing chaste if single, and being examplary employees/employers is a significant part of godliness that we are called to.

Once upon a time, Jesus asked a woman accused of adultry where her accusers were and who was condemning her. She replied, "No one Lord." Jesus replied, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!"

My word to us as followers of Jesus... Go and do likewise. We don't point the finger of accusation and condemnation at Isiah Thomas, but rather we recommit ourselves to holiness and purity in our walk with the Lord and our relationships with each other.