The inspiration of my posts come from a myriad of different avenues. But it seems that recently, talk radio has had a significant affect on thoughts, that I might not necessarily have considered without it.
Today was no different then most days. I hopped in the car and tuned in to "The Russ Parr Morning Show", where I was greeted by Lil 'Wayne singing about an "officer". (go figure lol) I usually get mad when I hear music and no talk so I turned on a cd. I would've continued to listen to the cd, but I realized that it might be an interesting topic on the show. So I flipped back over to radio, and sure enough the topic was so controversial that I had to share it with you all.
I know for a fact that the majority of you who read this post are affiliated with some church. Whatever the denomination, you go to that church to hear the word of the Lord (or Allah). Some people take into consideration the size of the church, the popularity, or what the members have parked in the parking lot, as a basis for attendance. But how many of you go for the person that's delivering the message? I mean, does how he/she conduct him/her self play a big role in your attendance? Yes? No? Well listen to this...
On the show today, a woman sent an email in about a problem that she has with her pastor. Not really surprising, because a lot of people have some sort of disagreement with the leadership of their respective church. But her problem wasn't as superficial as wondering why the pastor is rolling around in a Benz while everyone else is driving a hooptie. She actually has proof that her pastor is not only bisexual, but he has been living on the down low for at least the last 4 years. Now, I'm not the type of person to put anything past anyone, but a person who is in a leadership position, such as a pastor, can not afford to make this sort lapse. Forget that the pastor is engaging in homosexual activity, which is clearly a practice that is not condoned by the church, he is also married which means he is breaking one of God's commandments. Now, far be it from me to sit up on my high horse and pretend that I haven't sinned or fallen short of the expectations that God has for me, but then again I'm not appointed to the position of spiritual leadership. That's not to say his sins are any worse than mine, but his are under a microscope of an entire congregation, while mine are simply overlooked by people whom are not in my inner circle. I'm sure at some point over this past paragraph, you've asked yourself the question, "How is the emailer so sure the pastor is bisexual?" Well apparently he has been in a secretive relationship with her blood brother for the past 4 years.
As you can see, I have a problem getting to the point. The purpose of this post was to get your feedback on this story, and to see if you would continue to be apart of the congregation where the leadership didn't necessarily practice what he/she preached. I intend to leave my opinion in the comment log after I've gotten enough feedback. But whatever my opinion is, "It's Just My Thoughts, Just What I Was Feeling at the Time."
4 comments:
I think the pastor is out of line, just like anyone else who commits such acts is out of line.
When it comes to how we "judge" our spiritual leaders, a good place to start is their fruit.
Have they been a truly positive influence on their congregations' spiritual walk? Or are they actions negatively affecting the congregation and the people's faith in Christianity?
Honestly, all spiritual leaders should remember that they are representing a larger Christian body, and when they act up, people say, "Hmmph... that's why I don't go to church" or "Them Christians ain't got it right." People fail to recognize this cheating bisexual man isn't a fair assessment of Christianity. Unfortunately, because he's on a pedestal, we, as Christians, need to take steps to ensure that Jesus and Christianity are represented properly.
I guess it depends on what you go to church for. I don't necessarily go to church for spiritual leadership. I go hoping to hear a message/song or feel/see something that feeds me spiritually. If I'm properly fed, what the priest is doing in his personal life would not affect my attendance at the church. i view the message in church as coming from God, but the conduit's personal acts in their lives are coming from them- the two are separate. now i might question why God would send a message through a cheatin ass muthafuka like the pastor referenced in your post, but even that to some extent doesn't matter to me. as long as i'm hearing something that fortifies me and supports my spiritual goals and whatnot, what the priest does in his personal life is inconsequential. now, if my priest sanctioned something that didn't align with my spiritual knowledge (like voting Republican because they're "more Christian") I would stop attending that church because the priest is putting forth effort to lead his people in a direction that directly and negatively affects peoples lives. i think supporting or not supporting something (like human rights in Sudan or condom distribution) is completely different than being a hypocrite in your personal choices. Thankfully, my priest doesn't not echo the pope's bullshit, and so i can keep attending his service. Your responsibility as a spiritual leader for me is more about guiding people to make choices that improve the plight of the most vulnerable people in society- your own personal dirt is something you'll have to deal with and reconcile with the people in your life and God at some point- it doesn't really affect me.
We as black people place way too much emphasis on the superficial and materialistic lifestyles of church, pastors, and their congregations. When an issue like this comes about, its hard to digest because sometimes we lose sight of who the true leader is. We forget that pastors and preachers are just humans like us. Granted, I believe that some of them are truly anointed in the word of God but every one of them that is solid, there are 3 or 4 that can't be trusted.
I feel that if you call yourself a holy leader and you preside over a church, you will be judged more harsh than the rest of us when its your time to go. You are selling a product that you can't endorse.
The real question is, knowing what she knows and has known for 4 years, why is she still a member of this church?
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