This morning a read a well-written piece on the tragedy of the Penn State scandal by an old high school friend of mine. I have only been following the news about this loosely, but have been struck by the ripples of destruction that long-term ignored sin has caused. Rioting? Really?
This particular quote was like being punched in the stomach with truth...
"Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person. In confession the light of the Gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
This week I spent time with someone whose walls are crumbling around them--largely as a result of long term, secret sin. The effects are complicated, multi-layered and devastating because the situation went unchecked for so long. I have no doubt that God can rescue even from this, but it is going to be slow and painful.
As I have been sorting through this mess with my friend and again as I read this poignant quote from Bonhoffer, I am reminded of why we MUST live in community. We MUST be real with each other. We MUST care enough about each other to hold one another accountable--not in judgment, but in love.
Let's pursue each other the way God pursues us-- in truth and in love.
2 comments:
You are a good friend. Just having someone to stand along side them, is a great encouragement. The path away from sin is seldom easy, but the final rewards are worth the journey.
i saw your post on twitter this morning and thought the article was very well written. i am currently reading "enemies of the heart" by andy stanley and one of my favorite quotes reminds me of this whole situation (and just sin in general) he says, "the consequences of concealment are far more severe than the consequences of confession"
no matter how humiliating, debilitating, or downright ugly it may be...confessing our sins to God and to the ones we've wronged is really the only way to find freedom.
thanks for sharing!
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