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Christianity Today, January (Web-only), 2009 |

SoulWork

Holy Laughter

Remembering Haggard's sin — and ours.

Mark Galli | posted 1/30/2009 10:18AM

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But we cannot laugh if we do not continue to stare at and even remember sin and death, in all its sordid human excess, like we tell at a joyous family reunion the gut-busting story of that family vacation when the car broke down and the tent flooded and Mom stopped speaking to Dad for two days. The joke is lost if, "We're not like that. Really." Then Christ has died in vain, and the joke is on us.

No, the good news is hilarious precisely because this ugly, shameful couple, Sin and Death, has been made a laughingstock, and is being laughed right out of existence. In the meantime, we need a fall guy. So let Haggard's sin — and ours — be ever before us. Let us vow never to put it behind us. Instead, let us keep telling the story, and tell it well and in fine detail — so well that our stomachs threaten to split and our eyes flow with tears from laughing so hard at the juxtaposition of our sin and God's grace.

Mark Galli is senior managing editor of Christianity Today, and author of the forthcoming, A Great and Terrible Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Attributes of God. This column is cross-posted on his blog, where he interacts with readers.

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Previous SoulWork columns are available on our site.

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January (Web-only) 2009, Vol. 53

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Diane in Big D

Posted: February 03, 2009 5:51 PM

You say that we should not forget this episode so that we or future generations will not repeat it. I don't think that will be a problem. Yes, we may well forget the sordid details, thankfully. We'll remember the big, bold storkes though, just as we have the previous failures of the Christian leadership...Unfortunately we won't need to remember Ted Haggard, because there is another Ted Haggard, or Jimmy Swaggart, or Jim Bakker right this very minute-possibly-doing something just as awful. And he will be discovered, or uncovered as the case may be....Before being saved, I looked to the likes of Jim Bakker, and Oral Roberts--the Lord will call me home if I don't raise millions of dollars--and thought all of them--us?--were so very sad. What a pittiful situation to foist upon the unbelieving and unsuspecting world...not such good examples to lift up to the unchurched...Yes, we are all sinning, but most aren't exposed. Question is how are we trying to overcome our weaknesses...Or are we???

SALLY FARRAR

Posted: February 02, 2009 6:53 PM


Huh? Very convoluted reasoning.

a pastor's wife

Posted: February 02, 2009 12:14 PM

"We should wonder, in fact, about any Christian anywhere who does not look at Ted Haggard and say, "Oh yeah, I could have done that," or more honestly, "To my deep shame, been there, done something very much like that." I agree with much of what you've written, but NOT the statement above. Most of the pastors I know, my own husband included, would never abuse the trust their families and churches place in them by doing something "very much like" Haggard did. I am not casting further stones at this sad and sick man; I grieve for his family and former church. But the fault was his and his alone, and it does not and should not define New Life Church.

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