I point you today to Mal Fletcher’s excellent blog entry on things we should take away from the tragic news of Ted Haggard’s admission this yesterday.
Read Mal’s entry here.
I absolutely agree with Mal. But I believe the significant other half of the equation is our tendency to set before us kings and to assign to them "super-human" status as if they can do no wrong. There is something in man to want a king. It was present in Bible times with the Hebrews and King Saul…and it’s present in our current culture in the way we seem to hunger and thirst for celebrities and the news surrounding them. Especially in instances where we seem to elevate people and assign them celebrity status for no other reason than for being famous (see: Paris Hilton). It’s curious when we see it in the world but it’s pathetic when we see it in Christendom.
What is this thing in us that wants to put people on these pedestals? More importantly, what is it in our (specifically) Christian leaders that instead of resisting the pedestal in the early stages actually encourages the crowd by saying "let me get you a ladder!"
We’ve all got our stuff. Good, bad and ugly. All of us. The sooner we as Christians can realize that none of us is above the power of the enemy on the human condition and we are all prone to giving in, the sooner we’ll be able to resist the lure of king-making and submit ourselves and our lives to the one true God who will never fail or disappoint us.
Certainly, today we pray for Ted Haggard, his wife and his kids and for the members of his church. But I also pray for the condition of our hearts that seems to need a human replacement for almighty God.
So well said, Mike, and so true. Echoes the message that Jason gave last Friday night.
Well said, Mike, I also liked what Mel had to say. The truth of the matter is we are just people, we rise we fall. One newspaper I read said it well. This does not change the good Haggard has done. I just pray he has close friends who can help lift him up and be there for him. So many times in min. we don’t let to many people close we keep them at bay. I hope he has let some people close. He will need them.