One of many kiss and make up moments |
What If the guardians of Christianity in our time have gotten it wrong. Again.
What if, like the Catholics before them, the reformers and their progeny stumbled as badly as their their legalist forebears?
This has proven true in my own experience: having tasted the exultant explosion of grace and forgiveness for sin at the age of 16, I lost my way and raised three children almost as if I had never left Catholicism: as a legalist.
So, coming rather late to the BEAT UP on The Duggars *Party (we have no TV; barely even knew who they were...) it is very clear to me that they made the same mistake that I made.
They thought they were "saved" by grace in order to show the world how perfect Christians can be.
WHAT IF they (and I) had "Got It" and lived like Paul, the author of the book of Romans in the Bible, who lived only to relay to a needful world just WHAT he had been saved from? Romans 7:19
We, my hubs and I, always knew that the demon of pornography would be "The Enemy's" primary tool to take us down (his arsenal is vast and varied, of course). As we were dating, we talked openly with one another about our teenage experiences encountering the pervasive stuff: I was shown a giant barn load of it in 5th grade by "Alan and Ritchie"; and my hubs had to learn to shove it off the coffee tables of his home after his salvation experience in 1977.
But rather than lead with the obvious, we followed the contemporary church's cue and hid our history. No one talked about it (The Promise Keepers conference guys were Hub's exception) so who were we to take it on? Hid our story from the world and from our kids.
THEN, thanks to the internet,
human sexuality was baptized in the waters of urgent transparancy**
BUT IF the Duggars had any sense, they would've figured out that the entire purpose for their 10 minutes of fame existed ENTIRELY TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT SEXUAL FAILURE and the roll it plays in everyone's lives.
Everyone's.
THAT is why the Recovery Movement is now the only tenable evangelization tool left to the Christian Church.
No one wants to hear how perfect you think you are. They'll only "get" the Gospel when you "get real" and make the connection between what you were saved from and how you gratefully walk in that salvation now.
The Duggars had their chance and they blew it. And what a high price their blindness has cost the Name of Christ.
Coming late to the party is my trademark. But once there, I try to learn from those gathered and get to the good stuff so the conversation can really get flowing.
I love parties.
Even if it means I always have to clean up the mess.
The time I got so mad at him I took off my wedding ring "until further notice," nearly allowing myself to speak the "D" word |
** ** ** **
* "Exclusive: The Duggars open up about molestation allegations
Jun. 03, 2015 - 15:39 - Family recounts story on 'The Kelly File'"
** They're called "Family Secrets" and, according to Celebrate Recovery (C.R.) every family has one.