So here we go again. Another politician, another person of power and influence, another man who “should know better” caught with his pants around his ankles. The world acts shocked, the 24 hour news cycle drags up everyone they can to talk about all of the possibilities, the implications, and essentially to gossip like crazy about the whole thing. And in the midst of it all you and I tune in, shake our heads, and say “tsk, tsk, tsk” - trying to act as if the same insane situation couldn’t happen to someone we love and respect.
Now, I don’t want to downplay what Gov. Spitzer got caught doing. The guy - if all of the allegations are true - has sinned against God, his wife, his children, his office, his employees, the woman he engaged in this act with, her current/future husband and even her father. He is in deep….sin. If it’s true, he should publicly repent, he should step out of office, and in doing so prove that while this is indeed a private matter, that our private junk - when sick enough - has public implications. Character counts, laws matter, and integrity is essential. Amen.
But the harsh and politically incorrect truth is that sexual sin is so frighteningly pervasive in our culture that no one is immune from it or untouched by it in some way, shape or form. It doesn’t matter if you’re the Governor of New York state or the guy who mows lawns on my street the vast majority of people have sexual sin in their past and each one of us has potential to do something monstrous in our future. Yeah, I know not very nice of me to say but it’s true. It’s Biblical.
So, what we do when confronted with our raw, unrated depravity when we see it played out live on TV or described in detail in God’s Word? Well, as I see you’ve got three choices. First, you take the road that the amoral, atheist Alan Dershowitz took when commenting on Gov. Spitzer’s conduct, which is to normalize it. His take is that sexual sin is not a sin at all but victimless activity. So what we need to do is legalize and stop getting all upset about it. “Victimless crime” - eh? Tell that to Mrs. Spitzer and his daughters. But then again, what can you expect from a guy who’s an outspoken proponent of porn?
Second, you can go the denial route. You can pretend that you aren’t as depraved as everybody else, lie to yourself and say that those you love could never trip up like Spitzer, and then prepare yourself to be surprised again when it hits you closer to home.
Lastly, you can be honest and confront it. You can confess your own chronic addiction to sin to your Father in Heaven - who promises to forgive through the death of Christ and to help you live differently through the Holy Spirit. You can recognize that you’re as prone to corruption as the worst of people and take appropriate, proactive steps to stay out of trouble. As one of my seminary professors used to say, “Really understanding sin means knowing that there’s a thin line between you and a monster.”
But alas (did I just say, “alas”?) it’s only when you embrace deep depths of your sin that you can grasp the heights of God’s grace.
Spitzer (along with Sen. Larry Craig, Gov. McGreevy, Rev. Ted Haggard, and countless others) know the depths; may they know the heights. May we all. Amen.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:25 am
I was not surprised by the beast that is Spitzer, either. He is a hypocrite and as much like Satan as any being on earth. His poor family. They don’t deserve him. He needs to get out of their lives, their condo and the governor’s office now. Let’s help him. Encourage that all of Spitzer’s activities be looked into, including this disturbing, yet nonsexual allegation:
http://newyorkhope.net/blog/2008/03/08/eliot-spitzer-day-433-nothing-changes/
March 11th, 2008 at 7:38 am
I totally agree with Matt that denial of sin is a major problem in our culture and in each one of us. Remember the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)? If we believe Jesus’ focus (Matthew 5:21-22) on our desires and motivations, we break each and every one of them, practically every day. It’s ironic that focusing on sin in someone else can lead to self-righteousness which leads to idolatry which is more sin. AAH! Where to break free? Jesus.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I’m with you Monica that the dude is messed up - but I do think that the larger point is that all of us set ourselves up for both failure and disappointment when we fail to realize that each one of us has the capacity for just as much sin. This realization spurs on humility, proactive prevention, and compassion. Thanks so much for your thoughts!!!
March 11th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Whenever one of these situations come up I think about my own self-righteous reactions to other people whose sins were made public: Amy Grant, Scott Stapp, Mike Warnke, Jimmy Swaggert…get the point? Every time one of these people had their sins dragged through the media I used to get angry. At my worst times, I railed on the Christian faith for producing charlatans and hypocrits.
A HUGE turning point was last year at CrossPoint’s Good Friday service when the reality of what Jesus did for me, for Amy, Scott, Mike, and Jimmy, what he did for Alan Dershowitz, Britney Spears, what he did for all of us whether we acknowledge it or not, hit home. Sin is sin. Whether it’s murder or adultery or lying. Whether it’s private or on the front pages, it’s sin, and Jesus was beaten up and put on a cross because of it.
This isn’t intended to be a plug for CrossPoint’s Good Friday service. Well, maybe it is! I remember feeling breathless after that service. I have been to Good Friday services most of my life, and I think I finally got a small bit of understanding of God’s love and grace. The music, images, preaching, the candles, the solemnity, the black robes brought out the raw brutality Jesus suffered, but they also brought home his great love. He did it for me, for you, and for Governor Spitzer.
I saw the governor on television this morning with his wife. Trailing behind him were three or four junior high or high school aged girls. I’m assuming they are his daughters. This family needs our prayer and a flood of God’s grace. Don’t we all?
I’ll be in Mexico on a mission trip next week, so I won’t be at CrossPoint this Good Friday. How cool. I’m not going to a service, but I’m going to serve. Have a great Holy Week, and I look forward to being back home on Easter to say, “He is risen. He is risen indeed!”
April 18th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
You know, when I was in the Army, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) states that adultery is ILLEGAL. Why we don’t have that same rule apply in the civilian world, I have no clue.