As many of you know, on the brink of the political season, their came news of a devastating fall for a HUGE leader in the Evangelical movement. I am referring to the
Ted Haggard situation, and while its is so frustrating to see another leader fall and bring down the name of Christ, I am convicted of all of our need for the grace of God. I am saddened and encouraged through this, knowing that we all have the capacity to blow it, but also to bring our integrity and commitment to our churches, our spouses and our calling, to a new level.
Mark Batterson wrote a fantastic response to this situation on his blog, and I thought I would pass it on to you. But read this with this prayer in mind: Protect your integrity! Do everything that you can to lead well and lead strong. We all will fail, but we must honor God with our lives, personal and public.
Andy Stanley talked to the leaders at
Catalyst last year about how the "Big Fall" of leaders always occurs after multiple, possibly hundreds of smaller, less public, but equally important decisions to preserve integrity. Here is Mark Batterson's post:
Know Your Tendency
Been reflecting a lot on the Ted Haggard situation.
Very sobering. Obviously, a lot of
new information has come out since
my last post on it along with
a long string of comments.
I still stand by my post. When something like this happens we have to
look in the mirror. We ought to
thank God for his grace. It is a reminder of
just how human all of us are. There is
a saint in every sinner and
a sinner in every saint. And we ought to
pray about it more than we talk about it.
I want to add an observation to the mix:
know your tendency.It's been interesting to see and hear the
variety of responses to the situation. And it is a reminder, once again, of one of my
theological linchpins. Job 11:6 says, "
True wisdom has two sides." In other words,
truth is found in the tension of opposites. Where there is
no tension there is
no truth.
So here is what I mean by
know your tendency.
John 1:14 says that Jesus was full of
grace and
truth.
Grace means
I'll love you no matter what.
Truth means
I'll be honest with you no matter.
Jesus was
the perfect combination of both. Unfotunately, most of us aren't :)
So here is my question: are you more
grace-oriented or
truth-oriented? Where do you fall on
the grace-truth spectrum? I think it is important to
know your tendency because it will dictate how you to respond to situations like this. And the truth is:
one without the other doesn't cut it.
Grace without truth is
Christianity without a backbone.
Truth without grace is
Christianity without a heart.
Think of it this way.
Salt is a combination of two elements--
sodium and
chlorine. By itself,
sodium is a unstable metal that is highly flamable. By itself,
chlorine is a deadly poisonous gas. Combine them and you get a useful food staple known as
sodium chloride or salt--the only family of rocks eaten by humans.
By themselves, grace and truth are dangerous. Put them together together and they are
a power moral persavative.
So my advice is this:
know your tendency!
If Ted Haggard genuinely repents then I don't have a single doubt that God will completely forgive him.
Who am I not to? The way we treat those who have fallen is sometimes
heartless! We shouldn't put anyone
on a pedestal before they fall and we shouldn't
throw them under the church bus when they do.
Now let me flip the grace/truth coin.
This isn't a time for us to be
politically correct. The world is repulsed by that. So am I. We need to
fess up when we mess up. We need to tell the truth,
take it on the chin, and let the chips fall where they may. Lies were told. Sins committed. Lots of people were hurt. And leaders are called to live by a higher standard. The more
authority the more
accountability.
Humbling and sobering. That's what this situation is. Here is my biblical prescription:
read Psalm 51. It is David's confession after
a very high-profile moral failure. That is my prayer for Ted Haggard. That is my prayer for myself. That is my prayer for you.
All I know is this: I am challenged to
guard my own heart.
Good stuff Mark! Pray for each other that we can remain leaders that take integrity seriously and are passionate about living lives that make much of God so that God can take our churches where they need to go. Just some thoughts...
