Broomball
Before we got married and for a while after we got married, one of my wife’s activities was a game called broomball. Imagine hockey without all the padding and some major substitutions. The biggest ones are wearing tennis shoes on the ice rink instead of ice skates and hitting a small round ball with a broom with the bristles cut off. Other than that, the rules are the same as hockey.
In order to spend as much time together as I could manage - before we got married - I joined her recreational broomball team. One evening, we were on the ice warming up before a game. I attempted a hit called a roundhouse where I swung at the ball with my stick above my head. I missed. I fell. I landed on my shoulder. I dislocated my shoulder. I had to go to the doctor. My arm was in a sling.
I was teaching high school by then (it was still a few months before our wedding). Of course, the kids wanted to know what happened. I implied (without formally saying so) that my finance had gotten mad at me and pushed me out the front door so hard I fell and dislocated my shoulder. They did not fully believe me so I suggested that they come watch her play broomball the following Thursday to see how aggressive she was on the ice. Now, anyone that knows her would not believe she had ever physically hurt me or anyone else for that matter - It’s just not in her nature. However, a couple of my senior students took me up on my suggestion and soon many of them believed she hurt me (because she was an aggressive player).
“And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord for their mistake. And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the mistake.” - Numbers 15:25-26 ESV
“Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.” - Psalm 19:12-13
I didn’t truly mean to deceive my students but I did. I think this was the first time, as a theoretical adult, that I realized that I could mislead people. I mislead my kids for a controlled chuckle in a situation where we needed to learn some math. But ultimately, the responsibility and the ramification for misleading them was also mine.
“And Jesus answered them, ‘See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.’” - Matthew 24:4-8
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” - Matthew 7:15-20
With power comes responsibility and accountability. We should be careful of how we can lead people, if we’re not careful.
