Thoughts on the Haggard fiasco

No doubt you all have heard about the accusations against Colorado Pastor, Ted Haggard. He was accused this week of an improper relationship with a male prostitute.

When I first heard the news I was saddened but hopeful that the accusations would be proven false. I admired that Pastor Haggard, immediately stepped down from his position as Pastor and resigned as President of the Evangelical organization. At first, I was taken aback by his resignation of both posts, as I thought if you're innocent then make them prove it. But then I remembered the Swaggart fiasco and the now infamous, "I have sinned" speech. I remembered the damage that the Swaggart fiasco did to the Church and I thought, "here is a guy being mindful of the Church as a whole." It WAS truly admirable.

Then, as the week went on, there were admissions to "some indiscretions" and my heart sank as I realized that we are about to face another black eye. To Ted Haggard's credit, his accuser failed a polygraph test about a sexual encounter. To his shame, Ted Haggart is lieing about buying Crystal Meth once but never using it. I say lieing because his accuser played a recording of what is, most likely, Ted Haggards voice asking if the accuser can "get him MORE stuff." So, if we are to believe Ted Haggard, then we must believe, by his own admission, that he hired a known male prostitute to give him a massage and that he used that same male prostitute to score him some crystal meth once and that's all that happened between them, although he asked for more meth? Pastor Ted, it's time to come clean. There is forgiveness and restoration in the body of Christ but please don't marr it any further.

For those that do not know, Crystal Meth is a highly addictive drug, (some claim, one use and your addicted) that is used primarily for it's affect during intercourse. I won't get any more explicit than that but suffice it to say that it is a highly popular drug of choice among deviants. It is a drug that has quickly become an epedimic in this country, affecting almost every area and walk of life.

I'm saddened today by this situation. Not only saddened by the falling and failing of a brother but saddened at the responses I've been reading. There are some in the body of Christ that see this as only a politically motivated story. Gay marriage is up for vote next week in Colorado and Ted Haggard has been a loud voice against it. While there may be some merit to the accusers timing, the fact that should sadden us the most is that it has happened at all. While I am a firm believer that the Christians should be involved in the political process, I am even more of a believer that our creed should be upheld over and above ANYTHING else that we may involve ourselves in. The fact is that a brother has fallen, that should alarm us more than any political process.

This story also drives home the fact that WE are the Ambassadors of Christ. Our lives, our actions and our character should ever be mindful of this. Not just when we are behind pulpits but when we are living our daily life as well. I'm sure if you were to ask Ted Haggard today, "did you intend to fall into this trap," that the answer would be no but fall he did.

My heart and my prayers go out to the Haggard family, the male prostitute, the Colorado Church in which Haggard pastored, to the people of Colorado and to the Church as a whole. The true Church of Jesus Christ cannot be damaged but the public perception of what the Church is has taken a massive hit. May we turn our perceptions back to being followers of Christ and not followers of man.