Don’t cover up

If you watch Oprah you saw this a while back.  I don’t watch it but I have a friend who loves the show. Several weeks ago Ted Haggard was on the show.  My friend said, “You need to see that interview.  I’ll get it to you.”  I said “Okay.” The truth is I didn’t want to watch it because I thought I knew the Ted Haggard story  - another fallen preacher, long time fake, etc. I know that’s judgmental but that’s what I thought. Then I watched it.  Turns out I didn’t really know the story.

I was surprised when I  saw him and his family.  The way he openly talked about his issues seemed very honest.  The obvious love his wife and kids have for him and the grace they showed him – moved me. 

Then there was the part that just made me mad.  It turns out that Ted had confessed his same-sex attraction to his wife early in their marriage.  He was abused by a man when he was really young and that messed him up.  But that’s not all that made me mad.  Long before he started acting out on his same-sex attraction he went to some leaders in his church and told them how he was struggling and asked for their help.  Some of them withdrew their friendship from him and left the church.  Others told him just not to think about it and to pray.  He tried but it didn’t help. He desperately wanted the temptation to be gone but now he felt all alone. He felt the pressure to be the “model” parent, husband, pastor, etc. So he never talked about it again.

This is not what the church is about!! We are not about presenting the idea that we are the model anything.  We are supposed to be presenting that Jesus is the model, that He was perfect but He died to pay for our imperfections.  And because of His grace offered to us we don’t have to cover up. 

We have to create a place where all of us can be honest.  A place where honesty is met with love, grace and support.