If you have the time to watch this video of Gayle Haggard, I think you'll be blessed. She sure sounds a little overidealistic to me, especially in regards to this idea that her husband could go through a couple years of therapy and not have *one* single gay compulsion... but she seems like such an *amazing* person with that kind of compassion for others and forgiveness... wow. Just imagine all the friendships she lost and the pain she went through for that dope of a husband she has. She may be overidealistic, but she does not strike me as naive or stupid. And she is right, I think, in her statement that hypocrisy is the human condition. Her husband has just played his out on a very public stage.
Now, of course, ol' Teddy has no thoughts like that at all. No, no, no. But the sad thing is... folks in the church make it kinda tough to come out and say you're struggling in an area like that. I'm not saying it's "right," but we also have plenty of fat parishoners (Mrs. C included) we accept every week, knowing that HELLOOO, the "sin of gluttony" is practically shouted out by the fat pants. Or pregnant parishoners who shouldn't be... but here we're gushing about when the baby is due and isn't that exciting? And how are you feeling? Or we meet people and learn they're living together in sin and we're saying nothing? Hope you come back next week? I guess it's only hypocrisy when it's someone who criticises another person and yet partakes in THAT SAME SIN himself. So, it's ok for me to sit around and criticise people for their sexual immorality whilst overstuffing myself on pizza and Grace's Best Sunflower cookies. It's only wrong when I attack a fellow GLUTTON. Ahhh... now I get it. (snarfs pizza loudly) That stupid Ted Haggard.
I'm watching this video and thinking, poor Miss Gayle might just find herself shocked in a few years by some misbehaviour or "mistake." That, or she's laughing all the way to the bank after writing this book. That, or maybe Ted is totally and completely healed and it's all due to a couplea therapy sessions and now *wham-o* the sex with his wife is better than ever. (Not that I wanted to hear that part... uggg. Just not a visual I want while I'm eating, ok?) But if the latter is true, Mrs. C has a bunch of other problems that she would like fixed in her life, fortunately (or not!) not the kind that I could write an entire novel about and have people be that terribly interested. They're probably the same problems YOU have but don't write about.
I didn't follow the Haggards much, and so I had no idea that they are no longer welcome at their church. Guess they better edit the ubiquitous church sign "all are welcome."
ReplyDeleteI admit that I don't understand infidelity - so I can't even begin to fathom post-infidelity foregiveness. But, WOW, I admire her "choice" and her decision to fight for their marriage. I can only hope that if I am blessed to become a wife, I would have a fraction of her strength of belief. Thanks for sharing!
I think maybe they made them un-welcome at the church in order to prevent more scandal, bad press and maybe even prevent church division and uprising.
ReplyDeleteI don't get the making them MOVE part, but likely that was a financial settlement.
Yep, we agree that Gayle Haggard is one tough cookie. I wonder how their kids are doing.
Wow, Mrs. C. You sure do go after things. And I think you're poking at things that really should change for us as we strive to follow Christ.
ReplyDeleteBut, boy, is it hard.
~Luke
Great post. Makes you think do I do this??
ReplyDeleteI think what seems like an excessive idealism on her part was simply faith. Can't blame her for that, I guess.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand removing the Hagards from mininstry leadership, I don't get the point of exile. Where is the Christian love in that?
Maybe there's more to it than I realize as I haven't followed this story very closely.
Yeah, Luke. I have to say that it is something I'm not very good at sometimes.
ReplyDeleteTracy, I think I DO do this... and I am becoming more aware of it as I mature in Christ.
Terry, I thought the same thing about the exile. I think there probably IS more to the story we don't know. As to the "faith," in the video she makes it pretty clear that he had an "indescretion" before... which leads me to believe that after the SECOND time he was caught messing up, that a third and fourth aren't far behind.
Likening it to speeding on the highway... how many times are speeders NOT caught by the cops? But insurance companies raise the rates after that second ticket, yk? They know there is more to the story and the tickets tell you more about what is likely happening when people are NOT looking.
But wow, she does have faith. I hope for her sake and her children's, that it is not misplaced. But I'm skeptical.
Hulu video only works for people viewing from inside the United States, so I wasn't able to see it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you make a good point. Something like, "Cast the stone out of your own eye before looking to cast it out of your neighbor's eye."
Mary in Marrakesh