I’ve known this pastor for many years. I like him. But recently, he joined the mortally…er, morally wounded ranks. The destruction was reminiscent of the 2011 tsunami in Japan. It was swift, powerful, thorough, and nondiscriminatory. Meaning, everything nearby suffered massive devastation and demolition. It was another “shot heard around the world” in Christian circles.

Will his world be rebuilt? I haven’t a clue. Time will tell. But since every storm cloud has a silver lining, I learned a few great life lessons. Once we get past the passion of what happened, this is a teachable moment for the church and the nation. Everyone has such high energy when stories like this break. Take a deep breath and see if there are any “takeaways” you can glean from this. Because I am learning a lot.

Here are three truths to ponder when someone famous suffers a fall.

The first is that the past can always come back to haunt us.

It might be immediate, or it might be on our deathbed. Paul the Apostle said, “Don’t be misled — you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” Gal. 6:7.

The 80s glam band Ratt put it differently: “Round and round. What comes around goes around. I’ll tell you why.”

Our decisions, good or bad, are ghosts that never die. That’s why this is so scary. Everyone has a past — something they don’t want others to know. Being stupid is a part of the human experience. I learned in my own process of recovery that we are only as sick as our secrets.

This made me consider some bad decisions I made over 50 years ago. Instead of lamenting how stupid I was, I try to see how wise I have become. All things do work together for good. Eventually.

I’m worried about the abundance of what I call “selective accountability.” Few take responsibility for their actions. Our bad decisions are a result of the President, the Jews, our parents, that teacher, this country, past trauma, economic environments, social media, etc. If only (fill in the blank), then I wouldn’t have (fill in the blank). The sun was in my eyes when I dropped that ball.

It disgusts me to consider how much stupidity I blamed on the fill-in-the-blanks in my life. I am where I am because of me.

The second truth is how fast your friends can turn on you.

The claws came out with lightning speed. It made my jaw drop. Colleagues and acquaintances surrounded him, kicking and beating him harder than a pinata on Cinco de Mayo. Jesus said that a time will come when a man’s foes will be those of his own household. Maybe that time is now. Jesus also told a story of a “good Samaritan.” A man who was more interested in helping a victim heal than mounting a severed head on the pike of righteous victory.

“There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” – King Solomon

I must understand the balance between keeping secrets because I am a true friend and enabling bad behavior. Nobody likes a gossip or a tattletale. But it might be more wrong to let injustice happen right under your nose and do absolutely nothing about it. Paul also said, “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” I have much to learn in this area.

Choose the wording for point number three yourself. Is it:

1. Think before you act.
2. Pause and consider.
3. Measure twice before you cut.
4. Read a few reviews before you purchase, and do some research.
5. Simmer down. Or…
6. The victim isn’t the only victim.

When David was standing on the roof gawking at a naked Bath Sheba, pregnancy never entered his mind. Killing one of his best soldiers to cover a crime wasn’t on the table. Losing the respect of his family and executive leadership team might have stopped him. But he never considered the possibility.

A sinful President Bill Clinton and a willing Monica Lewinski never thought that a cigar would lead to Presidential impeachment for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Reaping what we have sown many times is more severe than the simple pleasure of our stupid decisions. Careers and families are destroyed, and innocent associates become collateral damage. A legacy of greatness can burn like the Hindenburg in seconds.

Nobody thinks about all the good a Pastor has done when he is assassinated. The here and now are the only things that matter.

The Kar-who-shians?

I don’t watch reality television. It’s not because I don’t care about the lives of famous, pampered celebrities. No, it’s because of another saying I learned in recovery.

I need to keep my own side of the street clean before I can look at others.

Thanks for reading this. I hope it gave you much to consider. And I hope your past never comes back to haunt you. If it does, face it with integrity. Silence is deafening.