Wednesday, July 28: Where is our refuge?

Jack Tatum, a retired safety for the Oakland Raiders, died Tuesday at the age of 61. In the last few years, he had suffered from diabetes and corresponding complications, including the amputation of toes and a leg. Known in the National Football League as “The Assassin” for his crippling hits, Tatum’s philosophy was that if receivers worried about the hit that was coming, they would not be able to focus on catching the ball. On an incomplete pass over the middle of the field in a 1978 pre-season game against the New England Patriots, Tatum lowered the boom on receiver Darryl Stingley. The hit paralyzed Stingley, who became a quadriplegic. Tatum never apologized and wrote three books capitalizing on the hit: “They Call Me Assassin,” “They Still Call Me Assassin,” and “Final Confessions of NFL Assassin Jack Tatum.”

"It could have happened to anybody," said Tatum. "People are always saying, 'He didn't apologize.' I don't think I did anything wrong that I need to apologize for. It was a clean hit."

By NFL rules at the time, the hit was legal. In fact, Tatum did not receive a penalty on that day in 1978, though he would have in 2010. Sadly though, Tatum never grasped that intent to cripple was not the issue. His life basically ended the life of another man. Stingley died in 2007 from complications associated with his paralysis, having struggled through every aspect of life for almost 30 years. Whether or not Tatum wanted to take any responsibility, a real man would have reached out to Stingley. In a 1985 game when Hall-of-Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor hit quarterback Joe Theismann so hard that Theismann’s leg snapped in two and protruded from the skin, Taylor’s first look was a sickened expression calling for a stretcher in deep concern. There’s a difference between doing your job while playing a sport involving extreme physical contact and trying to seriously hurt another player. Though Stingley’s death was not immediate, his life was over in so many ways.


Tatum’s death made me think of God’s law in relation to the act of manslaughter. The obvious difference between manslaughter and murder is intent, or more specifically, premeditation. God set aside six cities of refuge, three on the east side of the Jordan River (Golan, Ramoth and Bosor) and three on the west side (Kadesh, Shechem and Hebron).


5 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.
Numbers 35:25-28


Specifically, the “avenger of blood” is the close relative who acts in revenge or retaliation because of the spilled blood. Once the intent of the crime had been decided, a murderer was put to death while a manslayer was sent to a city of refuge. He was allowed to remain in that city until the death of the high priest. At that time, the manslayer was allowed to return to his home, without threat of harm from the avenger of blood. Tradition says that the mother of the high priest supplied the clothes and food for the manslayer, as in that regard, the manslayer would not desire for the high priest to die. Yet this story pertains to each of us. God is the “Avenger of Blood,” as He will put to death all the murderers. This is not a physical death, but a spiritual one. Additionally, Jesus is both our High Priest and our City of Refuge. We live in Jesus and He lives in us!


…where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:20


This verse in Hebrews reminds us that we can dwell in the City of Refuge forever, because our High Priest never will die! When Jesus died on the cross, every person there was responsible for His death. Though none of us were alive at that time, we were responsible, as well, for He carried our sins as His burden on that day. Yet fortunately for us, we are not guilty of murder in His eyes, though we are guilty of manslaughter. How do I know? Because He told His Father from the cross:


Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
Luke 23:34

We did not kill Jesus with intent or premeditation. Still, repentance is sorrow for that sin. Sadly, Jack Tatum had no sorrow for the actions of his life. Though only God can judge the heart, Tatum’s actions up until death did not appear to be those of a repentant man. When a celebrity dies, the “cool” thing to say is R.I.P., standing for “rest in peace.” Sadly, neither rest nor peace are in store for those who did not follow Jesus. Once again, when what we believe is reflected in how we live, others will see both our love and our repentance! Let your love and life change the lives of others!


Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:60