Plain and simple. The preacher of a good Christian church lied about having cancer. And he's also addicted to porn. Disaster.
It somehow reminds me of South Park's take on Christian music in their episode "Christians Rock Hard". Worth watching even if you hate South Park.
Somehow I don't think it was the intention of Jesus to employ leaders who get 100% of their pay slips from the church.
The Apostle Paul - was a tentmaker - Peter was a fisherman - which were all very respectable professions in their day. All of the apostles (well, maybe not Judas) had an employable trade. Even Jesus Christ was a carpenter. Hey, did anyone consider why He even bothered to take up a profession? He could have began his ministry at 12 years old. Told everyone: "I'm not going to be a carpenter. What kind of job is that for the Messiah??? I'm going to be a Rabbi!!!" Then got crucified soon after etc..
But he didn't. And there's a good reason for that. He wanted to live with the people and get real and understand what their problems were, how humans lived, suffered and died, etc.. That's why the people Jesus seemed to hate the most were the religious authorities at the time who were totally out of touch with the people.
Maybe all our Christian leaders - including the Pope - ought to have a 2nd job and do church work part-time. That way they'd be more in contact with the world and familiar with the problems their congregation has. Otherwise, even life in an ivory tower seems fraught with dangers.
One sad aspect is that his own father failed to discern and recognize his son was having a serious problem for a very long time. Why couldn't the boy tell his father, an apparent godly man, when he was 13 or 14 that he had this problem? I'll tell you why - the problem is that (many... some) "godly" people like pastors are so cloaked in their garment of holiness and pride that it is often hard for their loved ones to seek them as fathers and mothers. Day by day, they stand at the pulpit and pass judgement on the world - yet perhaps failing to see the sins in their life and family.
update: i guess another problem is that people in positions of leadership have a lot of pressure on them to behave in a certain way.
Think of Jimmy Swaggart, etc.. Clean, upright, moral reponsible. And its a hard job. The problem is that if you admit weakness, then you look bad... face it humans are fallible. We screw up all the time. However, God gave us a brain which hopefully can make some sensible and rational and logical decisions, before we create such a horrible mess.
In the case of the young pastor, my sympathies are with him, he just dug a hole deeper and deeper. At least in his case he finally had the courage to admit his failings. That, he has my deepest respect. Its bloody hard to admit you screwed up so badly. But really it shouldn't have come to that. Sometime in the past, he should have just admitted at least to himself that he had a big problem that he had to deal with- and take some time out to fix it up... instead of brushing it under the carpet and worse, concocting that terrible lie about cancer.
I've encountered people like that- sad tragic cases. Sometimes you can't help them. The worse cases are when they are in self-denial and keep on digging on and on... refusing to admit they are wrong.
Pride and an unwillingness to repent or heed godly counsel. That's the oldest sin I reckon.
At that stage, its just time to move on. Get out. Leave. Say your final prayers for the fallen. And go do something else. Whatever you do, don't let the same bitterness that affected them - affect you too. Hence the term - the parents' sins will pass onto the next generation.
5 comments:
another one bites the dust...I recently read about him, he's pretty big newss in aus now isn't he?
to admit you've seen porn, that's fine, getting addicted in the dark while in a position where you have to tell others about the dangers of porn, that's denial. But i can understand all that. But, to lie about cancer. To lie about such a huge matter in front of alot of people, that I do not understand.
Hope the kids in Planetshakers are doing ok.
It's easy to see how life and perspective can get screwed up living in an ivory tower. i had years ago challenged that and have seen many 'leaders' engage with the real world and am glad i know of few who do.
If you wouldn't mind me saying, your final concluding remarks, though valid and logical, is a little too conclusive and tending two dimensional. I would perhaps add a 'maybe' somewhere in those lines. For the fact that, we don't know for sure. Maybe I'm just a little more naive in my hope for humanity's inherent goodness. But, having read the final sentence again, i realized you used the word, 'perhaps'. My bad, I'll give you that. If only our knowledge of good and evil is enough to save us.
you're right. (let) me change that... to (many).
Uhmm,,,, I got one big plank... you want my plank??? keeps us comfortable sometimes... But It's scary when you're in the limelight
no, thanks. I'd rather be skiing and scuba diving than planking ;)
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