(Tim) Like it or not, to the American unbeliever today we are all "evangelicals." That is, we all believe in the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, honor His Word, and call those lost and without hope in this world to repentance for their promotion and commitment to baby-killing, adultery, child molestation, sodomy, and greed. To them, we are not split into Reformed and Arminian. They can't distinguish between Reformed, Evangelical, and Emergent, let alone Barely-Reformed and Truly-Reformed.
So when Rick Warren prays, he prays for us. When Franklin Graham speaks, he speaks for us. When Tyndale House publishes, they publish for us.
Tragically, this means those who watch HBO's documentary, The Trials of Ted Haggard--or interviews Haggard and his family are doing for The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live--will believe they are peering through a periscope into our souls, our marriages, our families, our churches, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Filmed by Nancy Pelosi's daughter, Alexandra, this documentary is what has given rise to this latest shame of ours. Due to be aired by HBO this coming Thursday, January 29th, Haggard taking his story public and appealing for sympathy led to another tragic revelation.
Turns out the male prostitute was not Haggard's only victim. A young man just came forward with his own account of a sustained sexual relationship with Haggard while Haggard was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and Senior Pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. It also turns out the church knew about this young man and paid him a large sum of money with certain legal conditions attached to that money. Statements made in response to this story lead me to believe we may not have seen the end of the naming of Haggard's victims.
So what is the world thinking about Jesus Christ, His Bride the Church, and you and me as they watch and listen to our own pastor speak about prayer not being the answer to his problems, but rather therapy?
Likely, it would be good for each of us to read this short statement by the Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan, and weep. Brothers and sisters, this is the truth of how the world views us. Under the headline, "Ted Haggard: A Tortured Gay Man," Sullivan (who identifies himself as "gay") writes:
At some point, surely evangelical Christians will have to ask themselves: are we going to continue to demonize homosexuality to such an extent that even our ablest preachers and leaders are led into destructive, secret and often abusive relationships because we cannot allow them to pursue open and honest and loving ones?
The countless gay men who are currently running many of the world's leading Christian denominations are threats to themselves, to other gay men, to their wives and their churches because ancient doctrine forces them into twisted shells of human beings...
When will this end?
Dear pastor, elder, or deacon: What are you and your wife, sons and daughters, older women and elders doing to respond to this blasphemy of our Lord Jesus Christ?
First, does it grieve you that your Father has this reputation? Second, do you take it personally? Third, are you doing everything possible to flee sexual immoratlity--to not even allow a hint of it in your life and home and congregation? Fourth, are you leading your church to demonstrate loving discipline and disciplined love of those caught in such sin? Fifth, are you and the other shepherds of your flock asking questions of each other and the flock that will cause you to know of the sexual immorality of the married men in your church before the media publish it? Sixth, have we all learned once and for all that a man or woman being a member-in-good standing in our church, being an officer of the church, being married and having children, etc. are no proof of heterosexuality?
God has called us to guard the flock and we need to do it with a perception and zeal that indicates we think something's at stake--for instance, the reputation of Jesus Christ and His Bride.
