A Skin Problem versus a Sin Problem

I am usually not a very big fan of professional athletes.  But one today appears to stand out from the crowd.  I have never heard of Benjamin Watson, who plays for the New Orleans Saints, but a cursory examination of his Facebook page reveals that he is very open about his Christian faith, which I think is commendable.  His faith doesn't appear to have gotten him the level of attention that Tim Tebow had to deal with, but his most recent post is getting a lot of well deserved attention.

He has posted a reaction to the situation in Ferguson, both the legal proceedings and the violent reaction to the outcome.  He expresses emotions of anger, sadness and fear, acknowledges that he doesn't know all of the facts or the answers.  He writes a very balanced but emotionally honest reaction to the situation, which is good to see in contrast to the endless inflammatory remarks that are flying around on both sides.  But the real kicker is in the last paragraph.

"I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope."

I am quite impressed that his message is gaining traction, to the tune of half a million likes, and a quarter million shares on Facebook, considering that it is openly Christian.  The first thing that catches my attention is that he uses the word "SIN" in all caps.  I have been becoming increasingly aware that this word has fallen out of favor in our modern society.  It doesn't appear to be politically correct to use it in any context at all, since that would imply that morality may not be entirely relative.  And he is using it repeatedly and emphasizing it, but his message is not being dismissed out of hand, which gives me hope for the future.  He also addresses the solution to SIN, from God in the form of Jesus Christ.  And because the SIN problem can be dealt with, that is the source of hope.  Because if the SKIN problem were the true underlying issue, there would be no solution short of genocide.  But it is not the problem, SIN is the problem, and that, thanks to Jesus, is a solvable problem.  And Watson comes out and actually says this directly, and it is well received.

So hopefully something positive may come out of this fabricated crisis, instead of all the negative that the devil (and the media) intend.  Any further circulation of this message can only help the situation, but I hope that it is not drowned out by the overwhelming roar of hatred and ignorance that we have been hearing in response to the situation over the past few months.  Identifying the real problem is the first step to solving it.