Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Friday June 9, 2006

I remarked to a friend who called on Wednesday morning that I had a statement by an old German that I wanted to use, but had hesitated to do so due to the chance that too many of my readers might think I was talking about them in particular. Such is not the case and I have as Jeremiah 'a burning in my belly' to say a few things that are designed to comfort, though the comfort may be gained through much pain!

A few weeks ago I clicked on the Jacksonville paper site and saw a sight that brought tears to my eye and a pain to my heart. The booking photo showed an eighty year old man in the orange jail jumper, handcuffs and the caption telling of his terrible crime. And terrible it was and is, the caption told an even more terrible tale, the man charged with the horrendous crime of sexual molesting several children carried the title, Pastor.

I have known him for many years.

As I have called and left a message, I have also struggled with the normal thoughts, 'How could he..' and 'Why did he do that?' along with numerous other ruminations.

Having counseled with over three thousand Christian workers through a ministry I dubbed, Spiritual Dynamics in years passed, I am not a wide eyed, awe struck novice in the reality of the world, no matter what niche you want to squeeze into. People are people wherever you find them.

One man who commented on the above incident in a very bitter manner stated that "it really infuriated him to no end to see such an evil man paraded across the front page in his figurative nakedness!"

Sin has a way of stripping any person of any covering, be it a good track record, a persona of righteousness or whatever façade a person hides behind. And for sure my acquaintance of many years was stripped of everything and to say he was 'figuratively' naked is to understate the facts.

Of course being a man of experience, he is the not the first thought to be giant I watched in horror as the private sins committed in secret were brought to the fore and the man or woman appeared 'naked.'

The old German mentioned earlier was Otto von Bismark who said:

"I have seen three Emperors in their nakedness, and the sight was not inspiring."

The crucifixion of Jesus which was carried out while he was stripped naked for my sins, that I might be clothed in His righteousness is in a grandly mysterious way, inspiring.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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