Yesterday morning I didn’t put the basket with the filter and coffee grounds back in the coffee pot correctly. So the water did not drip through as it should. Instead it stayed in the basket until it ran over the top!
After cleaning that up – I drank some of the coffee after straining it – I tried to make toast. I had cleaned the crumbs off the bottom of my toaster-oven, thinking that would make it work better, only to find it now only toasts on the back half of the rack. Flipped the bread over – and burned it. Ate it anyway.
Then I opened the newspaper and read where another minister has fallen prey to temptation.
I don’t know which part left the worst taste in my mouth, but I think it must have been that last bit.
And it didn’t stop there. His church has fired him and his superiors have taken away his license.
Sure, that makes sense. He sinned, sinners are not allowed to serve in that position. Right?
Well, not that kind of sinner. But are they thrown out with the trash?
I know who is rejoicing, who is jeering, who is mocking. And it’s not his brothers and sisters in Christ. Although someone said – I read it or heard it years ago – that Christians often kill their wounded.
Maybe that’s not what happening. All I know is what I read in the newspaper.
I remember vague details of an incident some years ago of a leader of a large, noted congregation who strayed and was removed from his office. But they – he and his wife and the leadership -- worked together and walked together in the midst of the body. After a while I don’t remember how long -- he was reinstated, maybe not in the position he had held, but as a fully restored brother.
It may be that a plan is in place in this instance, too, a plan for restoration and reconciliation. For healing and new life. For God to get the glory for what finally happens, even though the enemy is in the limelight for what has happened.
And isn’t that what we believe is supposed to happen?
I’m not excusing this week’s fallen minister. I’m not blaming the people saddled with the task of cleaning up the mess.
My heart goes out to all of them.
I guess I’m really just praying we will all remember that there is an enemy and remember Whose we are and how He works.
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3 comments:
Hi Barbara,
You wrote about this tragedy so much better than I could have. Thanks.
After reading John's blog this morning I was waiting to read yours. I too have heard the old saying that Christians kill their wounded ~ and I've been witness up close and personal ~ it's not pretty.
I've noticed that in a lot of churches, Christians seems to fall short with the restoration part. Why is that? May God forgive us and guide us.
so I wonder... what sin is the worst? I think that someone who murders could justify that adultry is worse but a liar would say that saying God's name in vain is worse, but last time I checked, God didn't rank them, and so... all I am saying is that is awful, but instead of condemning, maybe we should lift our hearts in forgiveness and prayer because I would venture to guess that at any given time in our lives we could have used the same.
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