I Have Views on Such Things

Something in the news has sparked my tired brain today. I will not tell you what. As it will be easy enough to figure out.

Many many years ago THGGM belonged to a group of guys who met together on a weekly basis. THGGM became good friends with one of the guys.

This man was one of those people who had a very respectable job, so was considered a respectable person, by virtue of his job, not by virtue of his virtue.

Having a respectable job pushed him to the top of committees at the very large and very respectable church in the city in which he lived.

This put the respectable job holder into contact with many many others thought respectable due to their respectable jobs and their respectable bank accounts.

And, caused him to become an elder in the respectable large church.

Because of this, he got to know a large number of other men thought to be very respectable. Some of them were. I knew some of them. Some of them were, well, not respectable at all. And this by anyone's standards not just my own narrow minded ones.

Now, for the rest of the story, let me clarify. THGGM knows the man who is in the respectable position due to his respectable job and his respectable bank account. The next man I am going to mention was a very close friend of THIS man. Not THGGM. He never met him.

And, so the story goes on...

THGGM's friend kept talking to THGGM about this friend of his. We will call him Paul. Paul moved up rather quickly into a paid staff position. Paul was very good at what he did. Paul was loved and admired everywhere he went. Paul was the 'it' person. But THGGM's friend knew a very different Paul.

In reality, Paul was a sinful human being just like all the rest of us. But, Paul did not know this. He adored the praise. Paul even said horrible things about the people around him - very condescending and mean, and the people didn't notice because they loved Paul so very much. To them, he could do no wrong.

I had a very good friend at the time who was one of the people who worshiped at Paul's feet. If Paul even spoke to her, she would have a glow about her and would feel the need to share every word of what Paul had said to her. The name 'Paul' was constantly being dropped into the conversation, even though she didn't know I knew who Paul was.

Are you still with me?

THGGM used to tell me that he could not understand how someone living such a phony life as Paul's could go undetected. How had he gained such 'favor with those in authority over him'?

Years past. THGGM would occasionally talk to his respectable friend when he met him at his respectable job. ALWAYS the conversation of his friend came around to Paul. How long could the deceit last?, he would wonder. How does one work so closely with people, and never be found out? How could these respectable men work together for YEARS and never know anything about each other, other than just how respectable their job is and how respectable their bank account grows.

Several years later, THGGM and I were sitting together at church one Sunday night. It was mentioned in the form of a prayer request. The simple fact that Paul had 'fallen', and could we pray for the leaders of this respectable church who were in shock.

I was shocked by how long Paul lasted. Years. And all those people closely associated with him never knew his heart. How sad is that?

And it makes me wonder. Oh, it makes me wonder MANY things...

But the biggest one is this:

Why do we allow people to be given so much power? Many many people were totally shattered to find out that Paul was a great big phony. But, aren't we all in a sense great big phonies? Can't we just admitted it, and refuse to let people elevate us to heights it would kill us to fall from?

Am I shocked when Christians fall? I'm not shocked that they fall. Mostly, I'm shocked by how long it takes them to fall.

And, if they break when they fall, all the better. Not because I want to point and laugh. Okay, so maybe for a minute I do. But, then I remember that until we break we will never know what is in us. When we break, what's in us comes pouring out.

I'm done with respectable looking trappings.

What I have learned about living life as a Christian is that the longer one goes on in life, the WORSE one sees the condition of ones heart. What I confessed as sin as a young Christian almost seems silly now. Truly, Christianity does not make me feel better about myself. What it does is show me on a daily basis just how depraved I am. And, how I'd better remain in a broken state, or nothing of Christ will be able to pour out of me.

So, I won't point and stare at the fallen.

But I will say 'to hell with respectability'.

Stay broken. Let the love of God flow out of the cracks.