Grace (the Amazing Kind)

I feel somewhat compelled to offer a few thoughts on the goings-on involving Ted Haggard in Colorado Springs. Having lived in the Springs for twelve years and knowing quite a few folks involved at New Life Church, it's a bit surreal to see the impact of the indiscretion(s) from here in St. Louis, as well as throughout the world (BBC News had it on their homepage all day). Everybody loves a scandal, I suppose.

As there have been several helpful posts already written (this one from pastor Mark Driscoll, this one from theologian Ben Witherington, and this one from Megan are three I'd recommend), I'll try not to be redundant. But the thought that keeps going through my head is that grace will prevail. In many ways, I would argue, it already has.

Reading Haggard's statement, I can imagine his shame, but I can also imagine his relief that he is no longer hiding his sin. Numbers 32 illustrates the principle that "your sin will find you out." Granted, in Haggard's case, his sin is more out in the open than any of us will (hopefully) ever experience, but as with all sin, its power over us is in its hiddenness and not in its disclosure. This is why James encourages us to "confess your sins to one another" (James 5:16). Sin can't survive in the light; it only thrives in the dark.

It is the grace of God that brought/allowed this to be brought to the light - even at the expense of God's own name, even at the expense of His church. While His name and church will suffer as a result, it will not suffer to the point of death. Jesus already did that - for Haggard, for Jones, for you, for me. Thus, God is not up in Heaven wringing His hands as to what people think of Him because of any of this. The horn has not sounded; the game is not over.

Actually, if you're keeping score, grace has already won. In fact, my guess is that Haggard is probably beginning to experience a taste of that victory for the first in a very, very long time as a result of all this. Jesus said in Luke 7:47 that "he who is forgiven little, loves little." Haggard apparently has had much to be forgiven of (who of us hasn't?), but he has also experienced much love in the form of forgiveness for his sin. I'm confident he'll respond accordingly.

By the quick decision of his overseers (which I applaud), there's apparently no question that Haggard's sin has biblically disqualified himself from pastoral ministry. There's also no question the media will try to crucify him, especially in light of the upcoming election and his Religious Right (Wrong) ties to a very unpopular Republican President and GOP.

But this is not the end of the world for Haggard. If anything, this is just another illustration of a fellow human's serious need for forgiveness, and Jesus' sufficient grace to grant it. It's amazing how the two have always seemed to line up over and over again throughout time. But then I suppose that's what we who try to live by it know it as - amazing, that is.