The Trial of Trevis Smith -



Whether big league, little league, on no league sports play a fascinating role playing scenario in the lives of young and old around the world. We all love our games of sport and idolize our best. The youth emulates their heroes.

That is why when a role model fails morally it is such a tragic outcome. A recent court trial plays this out. Trevis Smith, married and a father, played football in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was accused and convicted of having unprotected sex with two women while knowing he was HIV positive. While the sex was consentual the women was unaware of his health needs. Fallen from grace Smith is sentenced to a six year prison term. He is appealing the judgement set.


While Trevis Smith is responsible for his sexual misconduct and must be held accountable a nagging question keeps resurfacing. What were these two 'victimized' women doing in his life in the first place? Surely they could have and should have discovered his martial status without difficulty, being a high profile sports personality. Surely you don't sleep with a person at the drop of a smile. Or, am I too old fashioned for my own good? In my mind these women are as guilty, responsible, and accountable for what they did to themselves as much as what T.S. did to them.

You can't run wild with your sexual drives and then blame another for the consequences. You are as much a morally responsible person as the next guy. In our morally disordered and adrift society we have forgotten that. There is a divine moral code in the universe. By ignoring and breaking it we only harm ourselves. And we have no one to blame but the person in the mirror.

The T.S. trial was, really, about the accused and the victims breaking two of these fundamental codes: "You shall not covet" (i.e. wanting is not yours) and "You shall not commit adultery".

And God doesn't give us the Ten Commandments just to make us feel unhappy or unfulfilled. He gives us the Ten Commandments in order to order our lives so that we can be happy and fulfilled.

By living a life that's impure, you rob yourself of a relationship with a spouse. You rob yourself of a relationship with immediate and extended family. Most of all you rob yourself of your relationship with God.

The universal moral code is all about establishing a well-ordered society. Greed and adultery are not good for our society. Adultery leads to broken homes and disrupted families, and sometimes families without fathers and all the ills of society that come because we don't care whether we commit adultery or not. The Ten Commandments are designed not as rules to make you unhappy, but as rules to make society work right. Living morally is about living a good life.

God's moral code makes provision for divine forgiveness. While this is true, for everyone, the consequences live on in life.

Trevis, his wife, his children, the victims, know this to be true; too late but they know.

A Miracle In Sudan

So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped. (Exodus 4:31)

After years of slavery and oppression the miracle of a new dawning rose upon the ancient Israelites - and they bowed and worshipped.

After centuries of silence from the heavens God broke forth with the hope of a new day for the world in the birth of His Son and our Saviour.

After 20 years of civil war ....

After years of persecution and exile ....

After years of intolerant policies and brutality against black Christians and animists in Southern Sudan ....

After two million deaths and 6 million refugees ....

After years of total inaction by the United Nations ....

After darkness, a miracle!

I am not referring to the tentative Peace Accord signed in 2005 with the assistance of the USA, Britain and Norway - though a miracle of answered prayer in itself - banning Islamic terrorism against non-Muslims.

I'm speaking of a little known event by the world's media and churches but which made history and will make a better world for everyone, especially the Sudanese.

A miracle occurred during November 13-18, 2006, in Juba, Southern Sudan when the first joint Sudan Pentecostal Church Conference took place. These Christians were sent into exile and divided from one another due to despotic Islamic measures. Now they came from the north and south with joyful tears, joining together for the first time in over 20 years, determined to be an united force and impact upon their nation for Christ, helping to shape it into a democratic free society.

Present were one hundred delegates from across Sudan representing over 400 churches. Dr. Bob McCley, Principal of the A.O.G. Khartoum Bible College was one of the architects of the new constitution. Dr. Isaiah Majuk Dafu, Principal of the Pentecostal Bible College in Nairobi, Kenya, acted as official chairman of the elections. Together with monitors from several countries the elections were held and the birth of a new constitution was observed. Canadian Evangelist Max Solbrekken delivered the closing message to the Convention.

The Exodus was the beginning of a new chapter in the deliverance and formation of a new nation. The birth of Jesus two millennia ago started the long march of victories from satanic bondage and misery. It is believed that the historic events of November will mark the dawn of miracles in the deliverance and formation of the nation of Sudan.

After the darkness, HALLELUJAH!