Photo Credit: Keith AllisonIn an interview played before the Super Bowl, Shannon Sharpe asked Ray Lewis questions about the double-murder Lewis was connected to before the Super Bowl in Atlanta 13 years ago.
Many people in America have wondered abut this for years as well, especially since Lewis was initially charged with murder, and later a $10 million wrongful death suit was filed against him.
Lewis, 24 at the time, reportedly lied to cops the next morning and hid or destroyed his blood-stained shirt.
As the previous link reports, Lewis pleaded down murder charges in exchange for testifying against his friends.
He later reached a financial settlement with one of the victims’ daughters, with the amount undisclosed, but let’s just say it probably was a healthy amount. Note that gun laws would not have stopped these murders where knives were apparently the murder weapon.
While Lewis is correct that God has never made a mistake, he fails miserably elsewhere in his understanding of God (not to mention in his application of this principle regarding the murders).
It is also especially odd that his comment to the families of the murdered men – by someone involved in the incident – is that “God doesn’t make mistakes. That’s just who he is.” I doubt this is much comfort to the families. Lewis hides behind (his version of) theology to avoid answering the question everyone wants to know, which is, “What WAS your role, Ray ?” We would also likely be especially entertained with Lewis’ answer as to why awful things like this happen if God is a loving God. Perhaps with Lewis’ retirement, he can ponder that and provide us with an answer.
Ray gives us a clue as to his role when he “proves” his innocence by saying a man told him “We know you didn’t do this, but you’re going down for it anyway.” Perhaps he didn’t actually plunge the knife into the decedents, but let’s just say he didn’t have an alibi for the time of the murders. His defense is “a man said I didn’t do it.”
It’s also odd that in discussing the murders of two men, Lewis says that “the saddest thing that ever was [was] that a man […] told me in my face, ‘We know you didn’t do this’ “. Really ? This is “the saddest thing that ever was” ? Nothing else ?
Now, here’s where Lewis goes off the rails in his theology. In attempting to prove his innocence, he (indirectly) points to his success on the football field, with the principle that “[the way] God works, he don’t use people who commits anything like that for His glory. No way. It’s the total opposite.”
Hmmm. I’m guessing that Ray hasn’t studied up on Israel and Judah being conquered by their enemies, Assyria and Babylon, respectively. God in fact used these enemies of his chosen people as a hammer to punish the nation of Israel for their wickedness – from the priests to the rulers to the people. But it was the leaders who led the nations astray. And this punishment, by Israel’s enemies, WAS done for his glory, as the Israelites eventually returned home and rebuilt the Temple and the walls.
Lewis further solidifies his innocence (in his own eyes) based on the financial settlement with the families. His settlement was “for the kids” (it’s always for the children, no?). Even though “my name was used the wrong way”, he wouldn’t let that stop him from helping the kids of the murder victims. He lumps the murdered victims’ families in with the “thousands of families” he’s helped.
The interview did nothing to stem the belief that he was directly involved in two men being murdered. In fact, it solidified the view that he was directly involved, yet he preaches the false message that his success on the field could not have happened if he had been involved.
Baltimore barely came away with the victory tonight over the San Francisco 49ers in an exciting game. Lewis has definitely reached the end of his career, as today’s victory showed him to be slow and past his prime. But no doubt he has inspired his team, especially this year as he dealt with a severe injury in the middle of the season.
In post-game comments, he again rightly stated a biblical principle, that is, “When God is for you, who can be against you ?” While, true, it rings hollow from a man who reportedly hid a blood-stained shirt and proclaims his innocence much in the same way that OJ Simpson did.
Shannon Sharpe did a credible job in the portions of the interview that were shown. But it would be extremely informative to see the entire interview.
I tend to agree with Boomer Esiason who said, “I’m not so sure I buy the answer.” Actually, I’m quite sure.
