Sobering thoughts for all those aspiring to shepherd God's people. These consequences, which Haggard seems unwilling to acknowledge, are present signals of the eternal reality that all pastor's will be called to give an account. With the double honor he cherished comes a double requirement.The problem for people like Ted Haggard [...] is that he was in a position of public trust. Once fully lost, that trust can never be fully restored. Robert Downey Jr. can become an A-list actor, ruin himself with drugs, sober up, and become an A-list actor all over again. A businessman, a scholar, or a parent can do something similar. Why can't Haggard? Because his very public career was based on the antithesis of his failures. Downey wants only to be a damn fine actor, and he can be that no matter the content of his character. Haggard wanted to be a minister, a position that makes claims on his behavior—claims that Haggard professed to be equal to. Haggard didn't have to be a big supporter of President Bush, or outspoken against homosexuality, or any of the things that charged his public life. But he did have to have character that was consistent with the values that he so loudly espoused. His life did have to be consistent with what he preached, because preaching is based on public trust within the preacher's community of followers. Integrity is the deal-maker, hypocrisy the deal-breaker.
Most people who fail need only redeem themselves with their most immediate friends and family. They can ask forgiveness of every person they've wounded. How could Haggard ask forgiveness of 30 million—or even the 14,000 members of his former church? Sitting across from Oprah is no substitute for sitting across from those you've hurt. But he can go away quietly, do the work of atonement, and let tales of his renewed life spring up naturally [...].
Haggard can't enter a pulpit, and he shouldn't seek to be a spiritual leader, at least not for eons. He can enter a congregation somewhere, and if he wants to do that, he should, as a fellow traveler with other seekers. And that congregation should embrace him. That's what his spiritual restoration would look like.
May God's mercy protect us from such resounding failure.
2 comments:
Great post. I agree completely. I think we should make the caveat that we should not expect even pastors to be perfect, and if Haggard had come forward and admitted his struggles with thoughts and desires, before acting on them, he should have been met with quick grace and spiritual oversight. Of course, in our Christian cultures that does not often happen. It also appears that he loved his sin too much.
Good thoughts, Steven. Dodd's article is striking because the hypocrisy is said to be the biggest problem, not the specific details of the scandal.
I agree with your caveat and wish Dodd had chosen a different phrase than "redeem himself." The use of this language is perhaps indicative of the path Haggard felt he had to choose -- hiding and not confessing his sin. But none of us are able to redeem ourselves, which is why Christ had to be sent to die.
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