The Church is reeling from the recent admission of moral failure by Rev. Ted Haggard, a pastor and prominent Church leader.
We are all saddened to see this happen, and it goes without saying that he and his family are in our prayers as they navigate this
difficult time.
My heart was saddened as I listened to news commentators discuss this tragedy. We see the world sneer at our brother who has
fallen; they now judge the Church by his indiscretion as hypocritical and phony. Their judgment must not give us cause to doubt
the veracity of the Church ourselves. She is alive and well, despite what some might think. One fallen leader does not undermine
her, for indeed she stands because of the grace of God not because of the perfection of her leaders.
So what are we Christians supposed to think about all of this? First of all, I feel it is absolutely necessary for us to refrain from
judging Pastor Haggard. He did sin, but his sin does not ostracize him from God’s family. The grace of God remains firmly in
place and His mercy is certainly strong enough to extend forgiveness to him. Anytime something like this happens my thoughts
go to King David’s sins, his subsequent forgiveness by God, and then his full restoration. If God can restore a leader who is guilty
of conspiracy, murder, horrible abuse of authority, and adultery, I doubt if this present challenge is too great from Him.
Several times I have heard believers ask the question: “How could a man of God like Ted Haggard do such a thing?” If we will just
pause for a moment and think, the answer is not really all that elusive. Things like this happen because we are dealing with
human beings who are imperfect – even Church leaders. Anytime a propensity for a particular sin has not been totally dealt with,
that sin can and will emerge at some time even though for a season it has been dormant or somewhat controlled by the
individual. Sin is not something that can be managed. Sin must be dealt with through the blood of Jesus Christ, and even then
our carnal nature must be kept under on a daily basis. Sins surface when we fail to walk close to God, for indeed when we walk
by the Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Show me a man whose life is given to God in a true covenant relationship and I
will show you a man who can truly declare that “Jesus is Lord!” over every area of his life.
No one but another pastor can fully appreciate the pressures Ted Haggard lived under and, I am confident, which contributed to
his sins. The pastorate is perhaps the most difficult job on the face of the earth for a myriad of reasons. The demands placed on
shepherds are weights too heavy for some, and it is those who seek out other “releases” some of which are evil. One of my
prayers out of this tragedy is that a better understanding will emerge within the Church of the world in which pastors and their
wives and children exist. Divorce, bankruptcy, depression, and even suicide are rampant in the ministry, and these tragedies
point to a problem that needs our attention. The pressures in Rev. Haggard’s life do not justify his sins, but recognizing that they
were there helps us love him through this.
You will see good come from this unfortunate situation; you will see the Church act like the Church. Out of this we will learn
forgiveness and what unconditional love really means. And ultimately, we will see the full restoration of a man of God that has
been properly counseled and shepherded by fellow Elders in the Body of Christ. As these things happen, the world will know that
we are the disciples of Jesus Christ because of the love we have one for the other. Amen.