Solution to Scorn
In his article “The Price of Public Shaming in the Internet Age,” Todd Leopold asks, “Do you believe in forgiveness? Do you believe in second chances? Of course you do. Everybody makes mistakes. To err is human, to forgive divine. Right? Not in the age of social media.”
a stone’s throw
The teachers of the law stormed into the temple and interrupted Jesus’ teaching by thrusting a woman in front of the crowd. They said to Him, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (John 8:4-5).
blameless
Pastor guilty of bilking money from elderly woman . . . Church elder convicted of accounting fraud . . . Pastor of megachurch accused of financial misappropriation.
out of the abyss
Why did I repeatedly deny I knew Him? How could I have betrayed His trust?
confession
While visiting a friend in Marseille, France, we stopped by an old church. I took in the cold stone floors, the magnificent ancient walls, and the smell of the musty wooden pews. Almost hidden from my view, built into a wall, was the confessional box. It contained enough for just one person on either side of a wooden slat. My friend quietly commented that the act of confessing our sins one to another seemed to have disappeared from many modern churches. This challenged me not only to confess my sin to God but also to others.
turning losses into gain
One of the tremendous privileges I’ve had as a believer in Jesus was serving as an official chaplain for athletes competing in the Olympic Games. Ministering inside the Olympic Village was exciting, but it presented unique challenges. Many times I struggled to find the right words to say as I sat with medal contenders who—away from the glare of spectators…
blame and confession
Blame shifting is common in our world today. Consider, for example, the United States' two-party political system. Instead of taking shared responsibility for things gone wrong, the Democrats point fingers at the Republicans. The Republicans accuse the Democrats. The "right-wing conservatives" blame the "left-wing liberals." The "left-wing liberals" fault the "right-wing conservatives," and so on. Even those who profess faith…
