It is a sad day in which we live; and the state of mind in which America finds itself is a shame. Front page news reveals that Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana) was among those listed in the little black book of DC Madame Deborah Jeane palfrey.
Now, while that is shameful enough in and of itself, that is not what saddens me. My heart is troubled by the fact that when asked "Are you surprised that a senator's name is on an escort service list?" 96% of AOL members who responded (over 181,000) responded "NO." And, if that is not bad enough, 97% of those responding (over 177,000) said that they thought more politicians would be implicated in this sex scandal.
It is honorable enough that Mr. Vitter would admit that "This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible;" but it would have been much more honorable had he not gotten himself in such a predicament to begin with. America's problem, though, is that our moral fiber seems to be in such a sad state that hardly anyone is surprised when a public figure falls into an adulterous relationship.
One can be certain, too, that this lack of confidence in the moral integrity of our political leaders spills over into the church. Because of the ready access to lurid details of political leaders' mistakes and blunders, most Americans have little or no confidence in their politicians, and their confidence in those leaders who are not politicians are waning as well.
Far too many church members display the same lack of respect and confidence in the ministers who are called by God to lead them. The media saturation of the few who have blundered (from politicians to preachers) has had a terrible affect on the church and ministry. Some laity believe they are just as anointed and qualified as the ministry; therefore, when a pastor speaks and acts with pastoral/apostolic authority, they feel that they can question, rebuff, and outright reject his authority.
May God help America change her ways; and, may He bring the church back to the proper order of things. Of course, He cannot, and, therefore, certainly will not, force us to change our ways. That is the individual's responsibility. Paul commanded us to be transformed "by the renewing of the mind." We are to renew our own minds by making the decision to think differently, act differently, live differently. However, we can petition the Lord to "create in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us." That is God's part, but it is in answer to our petition in prayer.
If you've taken the time to read this, thank you for sharing with me a few minutes of your time with me. I know that your time is valuable and I am honored that you shared some of yours with me.
Blessings,
Tim Kelley
