Well Gentlemen,
RE: Ted Haggard Gets Meth and a Massage (Pres. of Evangelical Association)
And we wonder if Godmen has as future? Here is an example of a leader gone undetected for a long long time. In the midst of his brokeness he continued to lead without an ounce of outward struggle to his staff or family. This is a by product of the view of leadership that says one's personality and leadership gifts trump one's inner integrity.
If there were a place to reveal one's brokeness, would not some of these things get healed and these kind of revelations need not take place? Oh yeh, there is -Godmen and Samson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have mercy on the guy. but, his deception at this level of leadership is endemic in the evangelical world. If we were to see what is under cover, it would be shocking and we all know it.
If anything, Godmen has to pull the veneer off the pretense that all these leaders are getting a pass on struggling to stay and be in integrity. No one gets a pass. For us to hold our leaders up as if they were non human is our own fault. We are part of this guys fall. We contributed. We allowed him to lead without anyone knowing about his inner life--ANYONE.
Once again, Samson takes on such an important role in this healing as its main point is to give up trying to be perfect and stop trying to dupe anyone into thinking you have it all together. Let's throw down the gauntlet here and just say,,,Stop lying. You are a man and you struggle. Where are you at with this part of your humanity? Do you have a place to reveal its dark under belly? If not, get prepared to hide, lie, sneak around, and put on a false face.
This guy will have thousands project their own darkness on him and let him be the scapegoat for all thier crap they are hiding. I say we rush to his defense and offer our services as a gathering of honestly broken men who refuse to hide and pretend. We are out of the closet on every level. We are sinners saved by grace and by walking in the light we have fellowship with one another. We welcome all liars as we know how to lie. We welcome all wanderers as we know what it is to sneak off and create a world in our head or behind closed doors. I am this man on some level or have been.
We welcome all men who struggle with impulses they would be embarrassed to tell their spouse or friends. Here, you can share it without shame and without anyone throwing a bunch of spiritual BS about how God can deliver you. Yes, he delivers us. It is from the false idea that someday you can get strong enough not to need a band or brothers you check in with weekly or even daily and tell them where your heart is it.
LEADERS DON'T GET A PASS ON BEING CLEAN AND SOBER....
Godmen and Samson take your place at the corners of the city and be vigilant. There are many more scandels to come. Let us meet them head on before they shame so many people needlessly. May our meetings be the first place to openly reveal our needs and see them as normal and real and get beyond the shame and hiding.
David Bunker "A Broken Man on the Heal"
