Entry for November 6, 2006 (regarding Pastor Ted Haggard)
I'm sure you've all seen the news about Ted Haggard, the Pastor who's just been dismissed from the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. These sorts of reports never shock me anymore -- they simply confirm how fallen and human we all are; even those in full-time Christian service. No one is exempt, everyone is vulnerable, we all have strengths and weaknesses -- without exception. His situation reminds me alot of Jimmy Swaggart -- the two men have said almost the same thing; "There is part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life." So here's a well-respected evangelical Christian; the pastor of a mega-Church; the head of the American Association of Evangelicals, who then loses it all. It's incredibly sad; I feel sad for his wife and children for the most part; and certainly it's sad for his congregation -- but again, no one should be shocked. This is terribly common...and I think, all we can really say is, "there, but for the grace of God, go I." Right? We all have that inner "dark" side -- we all have to be careful and pay attention and be on guard; because every one of us has secret proclivities...it's just that some of us are exposed, and others are not. There are pastors with similar struggles who move through an entire career, have wives and kids, and even go to their graves with these inner secrets -- simply because they were able to keep them secret. Remember the old saying?: "Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead". Well, Ted became involved with Mike Jones, a living breathing human being; he took a massive risk, and all was lost. Others, over time, are able to deal with their secrets in a more final way -- but I don't think any of us are ever out of the woods. As long as we are human beings, alive, and on planet Earth -- we are going to have our struggles; and if it's not this, it's something else. Christian or not, we are never totally free. One of Grandma Zacharias's sayings was, "be sure your sins will find you out." How true!...and let's end with a word of encouragement: while we all have these dark secrets -- if we truly want to let them go, there is a way -- captives can be liberated, prisoners set free. If you are struggling, even now, with similar issues, I invite you to visit the following website: http://www.regenerationministries.org/default.asp.
2006-11-06 16:35:24 GMT