The Right Road Lost
This week, I heard of four different instances of moral failure in ministers' lives -- three of them are my friends, and one a respected author, whose books have helped me tremendously.
One is a young man.
Two are middle aged.
The author is 83 years old -- the news of his affair coming to light after many years.
Why does this happen?
Was it a slow wandering or a quick collapse? I wonder how much of this has to do with soul nourishment. (The remedy seems to be soul nourishment. Programs such as Marble Retreat are effective because that's their focus.)
Is the moral collapse what happens when people stop growing in the spiritual realm? An inner hollowness which leads to bankruptcy? Do faithful spiritual disciplines provide protection?
Jonathan Edwards thought so, saying that "true religion consists in great measure of the fervent exercises of the heart." Did they quit exercising and start coasting?
Have they been living a double life all the time? Can duplicity be detected before it's too late? If so, what are the warning signs?
Did they just take a wrong turn somewhere?
"Midway on life's journey," said Dante, "I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost."
Perhaps we need to make some better road signs.
One is a young man.
Two are middle aged.
The author is 83 years old -- the news of his affair coming to light after many years.
Why does this happen?
Was it a slow wandering or a quick collapse? I wonder how much of this has to do with soul nourishment. (The remedy seems to be soul nourishment. Programs such as Marble Retreat are effective because that's their focus.)
Is the moral collapse what happens when people stop growing in the spiritual realm? An inner hollowness which leads to bankruptcy? Do faithful spiritual disciplines provide protection?
Jonathan Edwards thought so, saying that "true religion consists in great measure of the fervent exercises of the heart." Did they quit exercising and start coasting?
Have they been living a double life all the time? Can duplicity be detected before it's too late? If so, what are the warning signs?
Did they just take a wrong turn somewhere?
"Midway on life's journey," said Dante, "I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost."
Perhaps we need to make some better road signs.
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