I wrote the following weeks ago, when it was revealed that Jussie Smollett had likely made up the story of being assaulted. This was before he was charged and long before the charges were dropped.

What Jussie Smollett did angers me, and he should be punished for it.

To fabricate a story that portrays a certain group as evil is beyond wrong. To continue to lie about it and waste tax-payers’ money on an investigation knowing it will lead to nothing is reprehensible.

Also, this whole story belittles the incidents where real discrimination, racism, and hate are actually involved.

But I have this sense that we should be praying for Jussie. A person capable of this much dishonesty and attention seeking is likely unstable. And unfortunately, this type of person could do harm to himself or others.

Usually, I would be trading political jabs, jokes, and points about something like this. And honestly, all that runs through my head. But I need to be a little more mature about stories like this.

I imagine Jussie has a grand-mother or two who’ve prayed for him since he was a little boy, I imagine his friends and family are heartbroken for him. I imagine a loving God who hurts with him at this moment. It doesn’t take away the repurcussions of his actions, but it helps me to not allow my heart to be hardened by cynicism and a media storm.

As a Christian, it shouldn’t take a revelation for me to pray for someone like Jussie. It should be my first instinct. But it wasn’t. I have to let God deal with my heart.

Jussie needs God’s grace, he needs healing, and yes he needs to make amends for what he has done. I’ll leave that last one up to the authorities.

As for me, I’m going to pray for him, and I pray that in the future, this is my first thought when something like this happens, not my last.

I still believe all of that, I need to see with compassion, think with mercy, and speak with grace. I need to pray for people before I talk about people.

But Jussie, like you and I, can keep grace from working in his life by refusing to admit he’s done anything wrong. God’s love is unconditional, but grace only works in a willing vessel. If anyone simply wants to avoid the consequences for their actions, grace isn’t what they need. Those people will find themselves worse off than before.

Today’s lack of accountability, brings a future lack of responsibility.

Societies have met their ruin by neglecting accountability.

What Jussie did still angers me, and Jussie’s continued lack of honesty only makes it worse. But I will continue praying for Jussie, he is still a candidate for grace. It is completely up to him to admit his need for forgiveness. The scary part is this, God won’t force any of us to admit that need.

So be angry if you want, I’m right there with you. But pray for Jussie, and pray that we don’t ever get to the point where we can’t admit it when we are clearly wrong.

It’s a dangerous place to be.

-Tom Wise