Thoughts on the Ted Haggard Scandal
The recent events of the past week involving Ted Haggard have deeply saddened me. I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of Ted Haggard, in fact I see his brand of Christianity as part of the problem with the evangelical church today.
What saddens me is to see the name of Christ dragged through the mud as the enemies of God have been given cause to defame the name of God, should grieve all who follow Christ.
I have felt grief for his family. I cannot imagine what his wife and children must be going through.
I also think of his congregation. How many of them must be utterly devastated by this news. How do you explain something like this to your children?
I have watched some of the video clips of Haggard blasting homosexuality and it seems so bizarre. What was he thinking as he said those things?
As I watched these video clips I was struck with the reality that this must be what it is like for God when He watches us play out our own hypocrisy. Sure it may not involve sexual immorality but that is beside the point.
I felt sickened, disgusted, and angry as I watched Haggard strut on the stage with an air of superiority preaching against homosexuality all the while being deeply involved in it, and I thought how does God feel when he watches me pretend to be something other than what I am? This whole situation has given me a better appreciation for how putrid hypocrisy must appear before a holy God.
May this cause us all to examine ourselves.
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” ~ 1 Corinthians 10:12
What saddens me is to see the name of Christ dragged through the mud as the enemies of God have been given cause to defame the name of God, should grieve all who follow Christ.
I have felt grief for his family. I cannot imagine what his wife and children must be going through.
I also think of his congregation. How many of them must be utterly devastated by this news. How do you explain something like this to your children?
I have watched some of the video clips of Haggard blasting homosexuality and it seems so bizarre. What was he thinking as he said those things?
As I watched these video clips I was struck with the reality that this must be what it is like for God when He watches us play out our own hypocrisy. Sure it may not involve sexual immorality but that is beside the point.
I felt sickened, disgusted, and angry as I watched Haggard strut on the stage with an air of superiority preaching against homosexuality all the while being deeply involved in it, and I thought how does God feel when he watches me pretend to be something other than what I am? This whole situation has given me a better appreciation for how putrid hypocrisy must appear before a holy God.
May this cause us all to examine ourselves.
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” ~ 1 Corinthians 10:12
posted by Duane @ 1:07 AM
2 Comments:
At 9:13 PM,
rovercomer said…
It is our nature to point out the speck in another's eye when we have a log in our own. In public we strut like peacocks, but in the privacy of our grey matter we live like pigs wallowing in the muck and mire of our own depravity. Oh, that the log in our own eye would be so heavy that it would force our eyes to be cast downward in humility. But no, all the world is a stage...
What if I did examine myself? What if I admitted the horrible thoughts that dwell in my fallen, dark places of my Old Nature? What if I shared them with my brothers? Would they judge me? Be appalled by me? Would they prescribe the appropriate cure for my ills? Or would they they beat their chests and say, "God have mercy on me for I am just as sinful as that man"?
We freely admit that there are parts of us that are like urine stained alleys where we fall asleep in our vomit after gorging on the desires of this world, but to whom can I turn? To Jesus of course, but why not to my brothers also? Must I sleep with a prostitute before I can confess I struggle with sexual desire. Must I overdose before I share that I crave cocaine? Will my brothers come along side of me and say "we too struggle", or will they look down upon me and pity my lack of faith. Perhaps Mr. Haggard strutted too much. Perhaps he judged too harshly. But I am a minuture Haggard. I will strut and I will judge and I will hide those things I don't want you to see. Perhaps I will never fall before millions of people, but I feel not less ashemed of my sin. Unlike Mr. Haggart, I can go about commiting my sin in relative ambiguity. But that does mean I am any less quilty of living a double life. This is not some deep dark confession, but an embracing of truth that I live with every day. I pray that I will always be willing to bare my sole to those who call me brother, but more than this I pray that the salt of hypocrisy will not be poured into my exposed wounded soul for the purpose of bringing a sense of superiority to one who needs to judge in order to gain his own sense of righteousness. Lets pray that this brother will be restored. Lets have mercy on him. As Duane says, Let's examine ourselves and let us thank God that our sins have not been layed bare for all the world to see.
At 8:39 PM,
Chrissy Steele said…
I can't speak of Mr. Haggard, because I am not familiar enough with his life. However, he was obviously, a man of great power and authority, entrusted by God to be a shepard to those God cherishes most. Yes, he will be held at a higher level of accountability as any 'teacher' would. To whom much is given, much is required. Sadly, there's truth in the term, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." But what amazing grace God has offered! This man can be restored fully, but only by God... Consider King David!
As you said, I thank God that my sins are not 'layed bare for all the world to see.' We don't all live our lives in a spotlight for the world to watch, but all believers have a testimony of restoration (including myself)!
Remember what is on trial here, though... Make sure it's sin and not the blood of Christ (and its ability to take our place on that cross).
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