A Tangled Web

My wife and I spent two evenings watching and listening to the two DVD’s about the sports career of a revered cricketeer, Hansie Cronje. The first was an enactment while the second was of endearing interviews; four hours with his brother, his mother, wife, sister in law, various teammates and authorities.

We were impressed as thousands were, by his objectivity in putting forth his best effort as an enthusiastic player and captain of his team, while leading his team  into world championships, to be revered by his country, South Africa, for his wonderful example of honest to goodness sportsmanship.

He was raised in a stalwart Christian family with principles of right and wrong. Hansie was confronted by bookmakers and enticed by their offer of thousands of dollars, to lose rather than win certain competitions. Either the temptation to have that much money in his pocket, or the inability to admit to his coaches and authorities that he had been bribed prevented him  from reporting the bribery. He kept the secret to himself and though he kept the money, he never threw a game. He always played his best and required his teammates to do likewise. Soon, he was ensnarled in illicit dealings with bookmakers.

We perceived that he responded like most people would, for he believed that by keeping his secret, no one would be affected. Only he and the bookmakers would know. Although he professed to have a personal relationship with God and wanted everyone to perceive him  as honest, he had been dealing with the devil and was in effect lying to God. As the Bible tells us, Satan is like a roaring lion. He walks up and down this earth, seeing whom  he can devour and will strike where persons are vulnerable. In Hansie’s case, it was by way of his unfortunate love of money. Before he knew it, he was ensnared in illicit dealings.

My mother used to tell us that a person weaves a tangled web as he or she intends to deceive. Hansie wove that web as surely as a spider constructs its web. He secretly dealt with the bookkeepers and yet, he wanted to do what was right in the eyes of God. His greed overpowered him, allowing Satan to be in control. The devil was ruining his life. He became irritable and unable to sleep at night.

If Hansie had admitted his dealings to those on the National Board, The Cricket South Africa Staff governing cricket competitions, acknowledging that he had been solicited by bookmakers not to win, he would have saved himself, his teammates and his nation much heartache.

After he admitted that he had accepted money from  bookmakers, even though he had never once purposely lost a game, he felt some release, but not the freedom  he had experienced previously, when he held to his principles of honesty. He decided to admit his dealings to God and ask forgiveness. Knowing God would forgive him, he would make a public declaration to say that he was sincere in his repentance. If God forgave him  the world would too. He asked for God’s help in restoring him  to his former trustworthy self and was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. He began a new life for himself and a new trusting relationship with his dear wife, Beulah. He continued his education by earning a Master’s degree in business and entered a company’s employment. God gave him two more years in which his life was restored and fulfilling.

Hansie was killed in an airplane accident. The cargo plane in which he had hitched a ride, crashed into a mountainside. Although he missed his scheduled flight home because of a snowstorm, he went to his eternal home to be with his Lord. He left this world having given us a wonderful example of a person not unlike any one of us. All of us are prone to human weaknesses, and by Hansie’s example, we can ask God for forgiveness and a new start in life. We may allow our weaknesses to control us, and suffer the consequences. Nevertheless, we are assured that forgiveness and reconciliation is by trusting in God’s love.