You may have heard the news that broke yesterday about track and field legend, Marion Jones. Ms. Jones has finally admitted to using performance enhancing drugs prior to her truly golden performance (three gold medals, five medals in all) at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.For several years, Jones has adamantly denied using such substances. In 2004, she held a public press conference in which she strongly urged her fans and the public to trust her word.
The news of her admission yesterday makes every one of her denials and appeals to the public for trust seem exceedingly shallow and blatantly dishonest. To make matters worse, Marion is now claiming she must have been given these substances against her will and without her knowledge. She claims the drugs must have been contained within what she thought was merely flax seed oil.
But this is hardly a new song. Over the past few years with the increasing steroids in sports scandals, several athletes have used the same unlikely, and quite frankly, unbelievable excuse. For an elite athlete to claim that he or she does not meticulously monitor what goes into the body that provides their livelihood is simply inexplicable.
My family lived in Southern California during the early 1990's during part of my middle and high school years. During that time, my dad and I attended a high school girls' basketball game in which Marion Jones was playing. She was one of the most gifted and dominant athletes I have seen in any sport at any level. Marion went on to star as the University of North Carolina's point guard, leading that team to a National Championship during her freshman season. Of course, her track and field accomplishments at the highest level speak for themselves.
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and snare of death.
Proverbs 21:6, ESV
What is most sad about this story is Jones' lack of honesty. For her fans (like me) and those who admired her talent and work ethic, the tainted shadow she now casts on the sports world is bad enough; but to add to that blatant dishonesty and outright lack of regard for the justice system merely pour salt in the "open wound."
Could you estimate the number of lies that have been told by human beings throughout the history of the world? Do we even have a number that goes so high? Now, how many situations and lives have been improved by all those lies? Not a single one. Lives are ruined and trust vanishes when lies are told.My friend, be resolved to always tell the truth, no matter what!
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
Proverbs 21:6, ESV
