And so another pastor bites
the dust. Surely you’ve heard—it was all over
the news a week ago. Ted Haggard served as President of
the National Associate of Evangelicals and also as pastor
of New Life Church of Colorado Springs, a very large and
prominent church. During his tenure in those positions,
he engaged in some sort of activity that has been termed
“morally unacceptable,” particularly in light
of his public statements and position.
I am grieved. I am grieved
for him, for his family, for his church, and for the cause
of Christ. His story is not new. All who serve in full-time
ministry can easily name many who find themselves caught
in such morally compromising situations. Most of us probably
know those who have not been caught, but who did at times
compromise their souls and their cause in acts that even
they described as morally repugnant.
In my grief, I also reaffirm
the Gospel—the Good News that we in the United Methodist
Church preach: forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration
are ours because the grace of God encompasses all. There
is a key, however, to re-entering that place of grace.
It is the simple word, “repentance.” It comes
from a wonderful Greek word, metanoia, meaning a profound
change of the mind. It is so much more than being sorry
that one got caught. Instead, it means the experience
of deep sorrow over one’s brokenness and the way
the expression of that brokenness brought such devastation
to oneself and to everyone else whose life has been affected
by the destructive action.
It is through such repentance
that real transformation takes place. That which was once
such a curse becomes the blessing. Certainly, such repentance
and transformation is rarely instantaneous. The sorrow
must penetrate the soul and go into its darkest places.
And then, when the day of forgiveness does dawn, all is
indeed made new. At that point, the re-building of trust
begins with fresh energy and future hope.
Thank you, Jesus, for showing
us what mercy is about when offering forgiveness to those
who sought to utterly destroy you. May we learn to do
the same.
