At 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (pictured above), went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Colorado, killing 12 students and a teacher, as well as wounding 23 others, before committing suicide. Reading the detailed account of what happened that day is like reliving a horrifying play-by-play nightmare. It's even more heart-wrenching when you remind yourself that these were real kids who were forced to play a sadistic game of hide-and-seek at the mercy of two boys who were gunning people down in cold blood.
Because of the extensive media coverage, most of us are familiar with the haunting surveillance video images as the two troubled gunmen were caught on tape executing students and teachers at point-blank range, laughing and taunting them along the way. But what about the photographs placed lovingly in decorative frames on the mantle and nightstand of the Harris and Klebold family homes? I wonder how many baby pictures Eric and Dylan's parents have of their sons, taken during more innocent times. I would guess that they have just as many as my mom and dad have of me. I wonder what it's like for them to look at those photos now? I doubt that these parents could have ever imagined in their darkest of dreams what their sons would grow up to do.
Because of the extensive media coverage, most of us are familiar with the haunting surveillance video images as the two troubled gunmen were caught on tape executing students and teachers at point-blank range, laughing and taunting them along the way. But what about the photographs placed lovingly in decorative frames on the mantle and nightstand of the Harris and Klebold family homes? I wonder how many baby pictures Eric and Dylan's parents have of their sons, taken during more innocent times. I would guess that they have just as many as my mom and dad have of me. I wonder what it's like for them to look at those photos now? I doubt that these parents could have ever imagined in their darkest of dreams what their sons would grow up to do.
While names like Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Columbine may be more well-known, John Wayne Gacy trumps everyone as the worst serial killer in American history. He raped and murdered 33 teenage boys and young men during the late 1970s, 27 of whom he buried under the floor of his house. He became notorious as the "Killer Clown" because of the parties he threw for his friends and neighbors, entertaining children in a clown suit and makeup, under the name of "Pogo".
At his execution in 1994, the prison he was being held in was surrounded by an angry mob of thousands who came out to celebrate his imminent death by lethal injection, chanting, "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" Many made signs that said "Burn in Hell, Gacy!" Vendors were selling scores of commemorative t-shirts right next to the prison grounds that said "No tears for the clown." One of the customers, George Tsokatos, told an interviewer, "It's definitely a party, I bought this T-shirt for $10 and can probably sell it for $100 after this." Josh Emanuel, 17, showed up in a multi-colored clown wig and a shirt that said, "My parents went to Gacy's execution and all I got was this stupid T-shirt."
Being that Gacy committed these murders nearly 20 years earlier, the vast majority of the crowd had no personal connection whatsoever to the victims or their families. Many had not even been born yet at the time of the murders. They were simply there to cheer on Gacy's executioners and revel in the media spectacle surrounding the ultimate end of a man who had caused the death and ensuing pain of so many others. Some wanted a piece of Gacy, others just wanted a front row seat on the bandwagon. But everyone was taking a shot at playing the role of judge and jury even though Gacy had already received his sentence. We're all eager to deal out justice – aren't we?
Gacy's guilt was never really in question and there are few who would argue that he shouldn't have paid dearly for his evil deeds, even with his own life. But I wonder how many in the jeering crowd knew anything about the man John Wayne Gacy, Jr. beyond his list of gruesome crimes. Who was he, really? Where did he come from? What was his family like? How did the man become the monster everyone knew him as? Perhaps an even more provocative question may be, if the crowd knew the answers to these questions, would it even matter?
John Gacy's father, a hard man, wanted a son because his first 2 children were girls. When he finally got his wish, he had developed extremely high expectations for John – unrealistic and overbearing. He wanted him to become an outdoorsman and an athlete. But as a young boy, John was diagnosed with a congenital heart problem that made him sickly and physically unable to excel in sports.
Disappointed, his alcoholic father took it out on his son by berating him for being a "sissy," often in front of his mother and sisters. When Gacy was 11, he was struck on the forehead by a playground swing. The resulting head trauma formed a blood clot in his brain that went unnoticed until he was 16, when he began to suffer blackouts. When this happened, he was no longer able to work around heavy machinery in his high school shop classes. Displeased once again, his father, a longtime machinist by trade, continued to tear down his son with constant verbal abuse and humiliation for being a failure of a man.
Before Gacy committed his more heinous crimes, he served a short prison sentence for a lesser offense. During his incarceration, Gacy's father died from cirrhosis of the liver, tragically on Christmas morning, 1969. Despite years of alcohol abuse as the obvious culprit in his death, John Gacy's deep-seated issues with his father somehow caused Gacy to blame himself for his dad's death. He was convinced that his father died from the shame and grief he caused by his imprisonment. It was at this point that John Wayne Gacy's psychosis accelerated at a frightening rate, resulting in his most notorious crimes soon after he gained parole.
On his album Illinoise, the incomparable Sufjan Stevens sings an immensely haunting and powerful song named after the troubled serial killer. It's about his tragic life, his hideous atrocities and the shocking proposition that you and I (bare with me) are not so different. I have included the song below accompanied by some video footage and images to help you see both the horror and the humanity behind this story. Some of the imagery is authentic and some of it is representational. But with what little artistic license I did use, none of the video is inconsistent or meant to mislead. Rather it is designed to challenge the ease with which we pass harsh judgment on people whom we know very little about. I have also included the lyrics below in case you want to follow along.
At his execution in 1994, the prison he was being held in was surrounded by an angry mob of thousands who came out to celebrate his imminent death by lethal injection, chanting, "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" Many made signs that said "Burn in Hell, Gacy!" Vendors were selling scores of commemorative t-shirts right next to the prison grounds that said "No tears for the clown." One of the customers, George Tsokatos, told an interviewer, "It's definitely a party, I bought this T-shirt for $10 and can probably sell it for $100 after this." Josh Emanuel, 17, showed up in a multi-colored clown wig and a shirt that said, "My parents went to Gacy's execution and all I got was this stupid T-shirt."
Being that Gacy committed these murders nearly 20 years earlier, the vast majority of the crowd had no personal connection whatsoever to the victims or their families. Many had not even been born yet at the time of the murders. They were simply there to cheer on Gacy's executioners and revel in the media spectacle surrounding the ultimate end of a man who had caused the death and ensuing pain of so many others. Some wanted a piece of Gacy, others just wanted a front row seat on the bandwagon. But everyone was taking a shot at playing the role of judge and jury even though Gacy had already received his sentence. We're all eager to deal out justice – aren't we?
Gacy's guilt was never really in question and there are few who would argue that he shouldn't have paid dearly for his evil deeds, even with his own life. But I wonder how many in the jeering crowd knew anything about the man John Wayne Gacy, Jr. beyond his list of gruesome crimes. Who was he, really? Where did he come from? What was his family like? How did the man become the monster everyone knew him as? Perhaps an even more provocative question may be, if the crowd knew the answers to these questions, would it even matter?
John Gacy's father, a hard man, wanted a son because his first 2 children were girls. When he finally got his wish, he had developed extremely high expectations for John – unrealistic and overbearing. He wanted him to become an outdoorsman and an athlete. But as a young boy, John was diagnosed with a congenital heart problem that made him sickly and physically unable to excel in sports.
Disappointed, his alcoholic father took it out on his son by berating him for being a "sissy," often in front of his mother and sisters. When Gacy was 11, he was struck on the forehead by a playground swing. The resulting head trauma formed a blood clot in his brain that went unnoticed until he was 16, when he began to suffer blackouts. When this happened, he was no longer able to work around heavy machinery in his high school shop classes. Displeased once again, his father, a longtime machinist by trade, continued to tear down his son with constant verbal abuse and humiliation for being a failure of a man.
Before Gacy committed his more heinous crimes, he served a short prison sentence for a lesser offense. During his incarceration, Gacy's father died from cirrhosis of the liver, tragically on Christmas morning, 1969. Despite years of alcohol abuse as the obvious culprit in his death, John Gacy's deep-seated issues with his father somehow caused Gacy to blame himself for his dad's death. He was convinced that his father died from the shame and grief he caused by his imprisonment. It was at this point that John Wayne Gacy's psychosis accelerated at a frightening rate, resulting in his most notorious crimes soon after he gained parole.
On his album Illinoise, the incomparable Sufjan Stevens sings an immensely haunting and powerful song named after the troubled serial killer. It's about his tragic life, his hideous atrocities and the shocking proposition that you and I (bare with me) are not so different. I have included the song below accompanied by some video footage and images to help you see both the horror and the humanity behind this story. Some of the imagery is authentic and some of it is representational. But with what little artistic license I did use, none of the video is inconsistent or meant to mislead. Rather it is designed to challenge the ease with which we pass harsh judgment on people whom we know very little about. I have also included the lyrics below in case you want to follow along.
Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Song: John Wayne Gacy, Jr
His father was a drinker
And his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's T-shirts
When the swingset hit his head
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things
Rotting fast in their sleep of the dead
Twenty-seven people, even more
They were boys with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Are you one of them?
He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a sleight of his hand
Running far, running fast to the dead
He took of all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips
Quiet hands, quiet kiss
On the mouth
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floorboards
For the secrets I have hid
So where am I going with this? Am I saying that John Wayne Gacy and other psychopathic murderers like him are to be pitied instead of punished? Am I trying to absolve him of his personal responsibility based on a tragic upbringing and plea of insanity? Am I trying to say that he couldn't help it? Am I trying to say that my sins and your sins are just as bad as the rape and murder of 33 people, 27 of whom he buried under the floorboards of the home he slept in for 6 years? Absolutely not!
It's not that Gacy was innocent.
It's not that his final punishment was too harsh.
It's not that the sins you and I have committed are equally as wicked.
My point is that we often use people like John Gacy, Charles Manson and the Columbine gunmen to divert attention away from our own sins and depravity. Though our list might not be as heinous, we all have a list. And amongst such vile sinners, our pretentious egos seek a dishonest comfort. After all, it's nice how short your list looks in the presence of such infamous company. The drunk enjoys temporary relief by pointing out the guilt of the thief. The liar feels vindicated when he makes known the wrongdoing of the adulterer. The greedy shifts the spotlight off himself when he demeans the drug addict.
Like the man who spends an inordinate amount of time at work so that he doesn't have to confront the issues he has in his marriage, we spend all our time dispensing "justice" as a smoke screen to take the attention off of our own guilt. "At least I'm not THAT bad," is our mantra. As you've been reading this account, perhaps even you have felt this excuse creeping in during my description of such crimes? Possibly, still even now?
Like the clutter we quickly scoop up from the living room floor before company arrives, we cram our secrets into the hall closet, already packed tightly with other junk we don't want people to know about. "Oh my, such a lovely home you have!" they say. We blush and shrug off the compliments because we know it's just an illusion that could all come crumbling down if the wrong doorknob is turned. But some of us have played the game so long that we've begun to think the accolades are well-deserved. We'd like to forget, but we all know our sins are still there... lurking, safely tucked away – bound and gagged.
But occasionally the muffled voice of our sin can be heard whispering truth that exposes our make-believe innocence. We light candles and incense to cover up the rank odor that seeps from the rotting carcass concealed from public view. When the potpourri fails and the closet door starts to creak on the brink of breaking off the hinges, the only thing left to do is point out other homes that are in much worse disrepair than our own.
In the days when fox hunting was a popular sport, those who trained hounds would take a red herring (a fish with a particularly strong odor) and drag it along the ground to throw the dogs off the scent. There are also stories about criminals who would use this technique. They would drag a rotten fish across a trail to confuse the pursuing blood-hounds, helping them to escape.
When most people speak of a red herring today, they are referring to a logical fallacy in which an irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention away from the issue at hand. The basic idea is to "win" the argument by leading attention away from the core issue and on to another topic. This sort of "reasoning" looks like this:
1. Topic A is being discussed.
2. Topic B is introduced under the guise of being relevant to topic A
(even though it's not).
3. Topic A is abandoned, moving the attention to topic B.
The Pharisees were masters at the game of red herring. Consider the way Jesus rebuked this group of religious holy men: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former" (Matt 23:23).
Jesus was upset because these were the religious leaders of the day, the office that people looked to for answers as God's mouthpiece to the earth. And yet, they didn't exhibit any of the qualities that Jesus described as vital to genuine holy living. The Pharisees claimed to be righteous because they tithed, but Jesus was quick to show them that this only one part of the equation. His point is that if they tithe on all their possessions and yet neglect the weightier virtues of the Christian life (justice, mercy and faithfulness), they've totally missed the very essence of the Gospel!
In John 2, with bullwhip in-hand and outrage burning in his eyes, Jesus overturned tables in the temple as he drove out those who would seek to pervert such a sacred place. But he also toppled our precious works-based righteousness mentality when he gave the devastating sermon on the mount: "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment... You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt 5:21-22,27-28).
Was Jesus trying to say that murder and anger are equally atrocious? Is it a viable conclusion to infer from this passage that, once you've lusted, you might as well indulge in the pleasure of adultery because you're already guilty of it anyway? Of course not! You have to remember the audience that Jesus was speaking to, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Matt 15:8). Essentially, the Pharisees had fooled themselves into thinking that it was okay to think about anything you wanted, as long as you didn't act on those desires. Jesus is forcing them to realize that God judges a person’s thoughts as well as their actions. While the Pharisees' list of sins may not have been as blatantly shocking as that of Judas and Barabbas, apparently Jesus is not a sucker for loopholes and red herrings.
And consequently, the Pharisees were not let off the hook just because their list of sins was less obvious. They were trying to claim complete innocence by comparing their sins to more extreme examples (murder, adultery, etc.) in a pitiful attempt to get themselves off the hot seat. This is why, on yet another occasion, Jesus rebukes the same group, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean" (Matt 23:27). Look again at Jesus' words: Tombs... dead men's bones... everything unclean... "under the surface"... Suddenly, the Pharisees are being described with much the same language found in the police report detailing John Gacy's crime scene. Interesting.
This is the context in which we should read what is quite possibly the most selfishly misappropriated passage in the entire Bible: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matt 7:1-5). The message here is not that Christians should never judge. The message is that we should be careful about treating judgment like a bull in a china shop because more than likely, it is our own china that is going to get crushed in the process.
Notice another commonly misused passage from Jesus' brother: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" (James 2:10-13). This passage is usually misused by taking them it out of its context. Notice how James ends this section by emphasizing freedom and mercy over the law and judgment.
Although Jesus said that lust and adultery are both sins, it doesn't mean that all sins are equal. It is much worse to actually murder a person than it is to simply hate them. They are different in their degree but the same in that they all cause spiritual death. But the good news is that it's also true that all sins are the same in that God forgives them all with the same grace. Max Lucado provides a stunning illustration in his book, In the Grip of Grace:
"Suppose God simplified matters and reduced the Bible to one command: 'Thou must jump so high in the air that you touch the moon.' No need to love your neighbor or pray or follow Jesus; just touch the moon by virtue of a jump, and you'll be saved...There may be a few who jump three or four feet, even fewer who jump five or six; but compared to the distance we have to go, no one gets very far. Though you may jump six inches higher than I do, it's scarcely reason to boast. Now, God hasn't called us to touch the moon, but He might as well have. He said, 'You must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.' (Matt.5:48) None of us can meet God's standard. As a result, none of us deserves to don the robe and stand behind the bench and judge others. Why? We aren't good enough."
While the good deeds of a madman like Gacy may only get him 6 inches off the ground, our jump of 6 feet is equally unimpressive considering it's 230,000 miles to the moon and the world record high jump is only 8.04 feet. This being the case, is there any real difference between holy men, garden-variety sinners and the most vile offenders? In his book, Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges (following the tradition of Jesus) ruffles our religious feathers once again by turning the spotlight back on sins that often fly under the radar. Pride, anxiety, unthankfulness, selfishness, envy, gluttony and the lack of self-control are often excused, joked about or explained away as normal – sometimes even rewarded.
Here are a few interesting scenarios to consider:
• A deacon who works too much is regarded as a tireless breadwinner even though he neglects the needs of his wife and children... not to mention his God.
• A man who verbally abuses his wife finds a group of understanding men who help him find peace and accountability. But a man who struggles with homosexuality is rejected with the stiff arm of fear, labels and judgment – cloaked in macho stupidity.
3. Topic A is abandoned, moving the attention to topic B.
The Pharisees were masters at the game of red herring. Consider the way Jesus rebuked this group of religious holy men: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former" (Matt 23:23).
Jesus was upset because these were the religious leaders of the day, the office that people looked to for answers as God's mouthpiece to the earth. And yet, they didn't exhibit any of the qualities that Jesus described as vital to genuine holy living. The Pharisees claimed to be righteous because they tithed, but Jesus was quick to show them that this only one part of the equation. His point is that if they tithe on all their possessions and yet neglect the weightier virtues of the Christian life (justice, mercy and faithfulness), they've totally missed the very essence of the Gospel!
In John 2, with bullwhip in-hand and outrage burning in his eyes, Jesus overturned tables in the temple as he drove out those who would seek to pervert such a sacred place. But he also toppled our precious works-based righteousness mentality when he gave the devastating sermon on the mount: "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment... You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt 5:21-22,27-28).
Was Jesus trying to say that murder and anger are equally atrocious? Is it a viable conclusion to infer from this passage that, once you've lusted, you might as well indulge in the pleasure of adultery because you're already guilty of it anyway? Of course not! You have to remember the audience that Jesus was speaking to, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Matt 15:8). Essentially, the Pharisees had fooled themselves into thinking that it was okay to think about anything you wanted, as long as you didn't act on those desires. Jesus is forcing them to realize that God judges a person’s thoughts as well as their actions. While the Pharisees' list of sins may not have been as blatantly shocking as that of Judas and Barabbas, apparently Jesus is not a sucker for loopholes and red herrings.
And consequently, the Pharisees were not let off the hook just because their list of sins was less obvious. They were trying to claim complete innocence by comparing their sins to more extreme examples (murder, adultery, etc.) in a pitiful attempt to get themselves off the hot seat. This is why, on yet another occasion, Jesus rebukes the same group, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean" (Matt 23:27). Look again at Jesus' words: Tombs... dead men's bones... everything unclean... "under the surface"... Suddenly, the Pharisees are being described with much the same language found in the police report detailing John Gacy's crime scene. Interesting.
This is the context in which we should read what is quite possibly the most selfishly misappropriated passage in the entire Bible: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matt 7:1-5). The message here is not that Christians should never judge. The message is that we should be careful about treating judgment like a bull in a china shop because more than likely, it is our own china that is going to get crushed in the process.
Notice another commonly misused passage from Jesus' brother: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" (James 2:10-13). This passage is usually misused by taking them it out of its context. Notice how James ends this section by emphasizing freedom and mercy over the law and judgment.
Although Jesus said that lust and adultery are both sins, it doesn't mean that all sins are equal. It is much worse to actually murder a person than it is to simply hate them. They are different in their degree but the same in that they all cause spiritual death. But the good news is that it's also true that all sins are the same in that God forgives them all with the same grace. Max Lucado provides a stunning illustration in his book, In the Grip of Grace:
"Suppose God simplified matters and reduced the Bible to one command: 'Thou must jump so high in the air that you touch the moon.' No need to love your neighbor or pray or follow Jesus; just touch the moon by virtue of a jump, and you'll be saved...There may be a few who jump three or four feet, even fewer who jump five or six; but compared to the distance we have to go, no one gets very far. Though you may jump six inches higher than I do, it's scarcely reason to boast. Now, God hasn't called us to touch the moon, but He might as well have. He said, 'You must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.' (Matt.5:48) None of us can meet God's standard. As a result, none of us deserves to don the robe and stand behind the bench and judge others. Why? We aren't good enough."
While the good deeds of a madman like Gacy may only get him 6 inches off the ground, our jump of 6 feet is equally unimpressive considering it's 230,000 miles to the moon and the world record high jump is only 8.04 feet. This being the case, is there any real difference between holy men, garden-variety sinners and the most vile offenders? In his book, Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges (following the tradition of Jesus) ruffles our religious feathers once again by turning the spotlight back on sins that often fly under the radar. Pride, anxiety, unthankfulness, selfishness, envy, gluttony and the lack of self-control are often excused, joked about or explained away as normal – sometimes even rewarded.
Here are a few interesting scenarios to consider:
• A deacon who works too much is regarded as a tireless breadwinner even though he neglects the needs of his wife and children... not to mention his God.
• A man who verbally abuses his wife finds a group of understanding men who help him find peace and accountability. But a man who struggles with homosexuality is rejected with the stiff arm of fear, labels and judgment – cloaked in macho stupidity.
• A woman who had an abortion is welcomed with loving arms and asked to testify about her experience. But a woman who commits adultery is branded with the scarlet letter and exiled.
• Church leaders look down their noses at the one who smokes and drinks too much, while the 300 pound Sunday school teacher is allowed to instruct children about the fruit of the Spirit – including self-control.
• One man is excommunicated for having an affair, while another in the same church secretly visits strip clubs and pornographic websites for years – his men's Bible study even encourages him with, "We're here for you, a lot of guys deal with the same thing."
• We sit in front of a TV or computer screen for 20 hours a week and have the nerve to accuse those who worship other gods of idolatry.
• The humble man who lives with his girlfriend is banned from the worship team, but the proud man with the golden voice is allowed to swagger and strut center stage.
I'm not saying that any of these vices should be considered as anything less than sin. I'm not saying that everyone is ready to serve in a leadership role regardless of lifestyle and beliefs. My question is, why is there such an obvious disparity in how we treat certain sins as compared to others? Some are given and endless supply of hall passes, while others are sent straight to the principal's office without question. The hallways of the church are run-amuk with permissible sin, all the while our classrooms sit empty – void of qualified students and teachers.
Why do we extend so much grace to some and so very little to others? Is it because we extend grace only to the sins that we ourselves struggle with? If so, can this really be called grace? Or is the "grace" we show more accurately described as a hypocritical reluctance to make a judgment call in situations that our similar to our own? Ultimately, we fear presiding as judge and jury over our own case?
There's an unspoken pact akin to spiritual blackmail going on behind the scenes, isn't there? We don't mind accountability, confession or forgiveness when it's something that we have struggled with. And it's not because we're full of grace but, rather, because in the back of our minds we know that if anyone ever makes a big deal out of our sin, we have the same dirt on them. Like the long nuclear weapon standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, there is a devious brand of Mutual Assured Destruction amongst believers today. But as my parents learned during duck-and-cover drills as they huddled under school desks waiting for sirens and mushroom clouds, can anyone experience real freedom living under such fear?
As long as we focus on the sins of others, we don't have to be honest about our own. But let's be honest now, shall we? We are not so much as outraged by the sin itself, it is GRACE that offends us. It is not the wickedness of the sin that drives us mad, it is the idea that the guilty man might go free and unpunished. The mere idea makes us grit our teeth, shake our head and grumble under our breath, "That's not right." That is, unless we are the sinner in question.
The truth is that it's not right when a sinner goes free. But that's where Jesus comes in. God put the sin of the world on His Son and punished Him instead of us, even though He was perfect. We get forgiveness out of the deal while Jesus suffered in our place. Both love and justice are carried out in perfection. That is grace and it's a beautiful thing.
After his execution, John Gacy's brain was removed for study since it was evident to so many criminal psychologists that he was suffering from some kind of severe neurosis. Surprisingly, the results came back completely normal – disturbing proof that John Wayne Gacy, Jr. was even more of a monster than previously thought... chilling.
As you read the previous paragraph, did you hear it? The quiet, self-righteous whisper in your head... "I knew it! He knew exactly what he was doing!" But does it make a difference whether he was sane or not? Might I be so bold to suggest that this whisper in our heads is born out of an attempt to make our own list look a few inches shorter? To make our meaningless jump look like it's a little closer to the moon?
Would we be so quick to cheer and cry out for justice if it were our closest friend or family member sitting in the seat of the accused? If our own dark thoughts, sins and dirty little secrets were aired out in public, (you know the ones) would we welcome the same response that wells up in our own hearts toward others? Given different circumstances, what would have happened to your issues of lying, lust, greed and hate had you not had the upbringing and environment that you had? Aren't we all just one step, one choice, one mistake away from being just like those we despise? In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis said of pride: there is no other sin so wholly offensive when we see it in others, yet so completely unrecognizable in ourselves.
In Harper Lee's famous novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch tells his young daughter Scout that you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. This was in reference to the character Boo Radley, a reclusive neighbor who was the subject of gossip and rumors and hence, harsh judgments about what kind of man he was. Scout is consumed by the mystery and speculation about Boo at the beginning of the book, imagining him to be some kind of monster. However, he ends up saving Scout's life and the two become friends despite her original prejudice.
In closing, I'd like to, once again, invoke the words of Max Lucado as he masterfully describes the danger in assuming a seat on the judge's bench too quickly:
"Not only are we unworthy, we are unqualified. We don’t know enough about the person to judge him. We don’t know enough about his past. We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn’t see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk but cannot see the tack in her shoe. We mock the fear in their eyes but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts they have dodged. Are they too loud? Perhaps they fear being neglected again. Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again. Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried. You don't know. Only One who has followed yesterday’s steps can be their judge.
Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. Dare we judge a book while chapters are yet unwritten? Should we pass a verdict on a painting while the artist still holds the brush? How can you dismiss a soul until God’s work is complete? "God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again” (Phil 1:6).
Be careful! The Peter who denies Jesus at tonight’s fire may proclaim Him with fire at tomorrow’s Pentecost. The Samson who is blind and weak today may use his final strength to level the pillars of godlessness. A stammering shepherd in this generation may be the mighty Moses of the next. Don’t call Noah a fool, you may be asking him for a lift.”
– In the Grip of Grace
ADDENDUM:
• Church leaders look down their noses at the one who smokes and drinks too much, while the 300 pound Sunday school teacher is allowed to instruct children about the fruit of the Spirit – including self-control.
• One man is excommunicated for having an affair, while another in the same church secretly visits strip clubs and pornographic websites for years – his men's Bible study even encourages him with, "We're here for you, a lot of guys deal with the same thing."
• We sit in front of a TV or computer screen for 20 hours a week and have the nerve to accuse those who worship other gods of idolatry.
• The humble man who lives with his girlfriend is banned from the worship team, but the proud man with the golden voice is allowed to swagger and strut center stage.
I'm not saying that any of these vices should be considered as anything less than sin. I'm not saying that everyone is ready to serve in a leadership role regardless of lifestyle and beliefs. My question is, why is there such an obvious disparity in how we treat certain sins as compared to others? Some are given and endless supply of hall passes, while others are sent straight to the principal's office without question. The hallways of the church are run-amuk with permissible sin, all the while our classrooms sit empty – void of qualified students and teachers.
Why do we extend so much grace to some and so very little to others? Is it because we extend grace only to the sins that we ourselves struggle with? If so, can this really be called grace? Or is the "grace" we show more accurately described as a hypocritical reluctance to make a judgment call in situations that our similar to our own? Ultimately, we fear presiding as judge and jury over our own case?
There's an unspoken pact akin to spiritual blackmail going on behind the scenes, isn't there? We don't mind accountability, confession or forgiveness when it's something that we have struggled with. And it's not because we're full of grace but, rather, because in the back of our minds we know that if anyone ever makes a big deal out of our sin, we have the same dirt on them. Like the long nuclear weapon standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, there is a devious brand of Mutual Assured Destruction amongst believers today. But as my parents learned during duck-and-cover drills as they huddled under school desks waiting for sirens and mushroom clouds, can anyone experience real freedom living under such fear?
As long as we focus on the sins of others, we don't have to be honest about our own. But let's be honest now, shall we? We are not so much as outraged by the sin itself, it is GRACE that offends us. It is not the wickedness of the sin that drives us mad, it is the idea that the guilty man might go free and unpunished. The mere idea makes us grit our teeth, shake our head and grumble under our breath, "That's not right." That is, unless we are the sinner in question.
The truth is that it's not right when a sinner goes free. But that's where Jesus comes in. God put the sin of the world on His Son and punished Him instead of us, even though He was perfect. We get forgiveness out of the deal while Jesus suffered in our place. Both love and justice are carried out in perfection. That is grace and it's a beautiful thing.
After his execution, John Gacy's brain was removed for study since it was evident to so many criminal psychologists that he was suffering from some kind of severe neurosis. Surprisingly, the results came back completely normal – disturbing proof that John Wayne Gacy, Jr. was even more of a monster than previously thought... chilling.
As you read the previous paragraph, did you hear it? The quiet, self-righteous whisper in your head... "I knew it! He knew exactly what he was doing!" But does it make a difference whether he was sane or not? Might I be so bold to suggest that this whisper in our heads is born out of an attempt to make our own list look a few inches shorter? To make our meaningless jump look like it's a little closer to the moon?
Would we be so quick to cheer and cry out for justice if it were our closest friend or family member sitting in the seat of the accused? If our own dark thoughts, sins and dirty little secrets were aired out in public, (you know the ones) would we welcome the same response that wells up in our own hearts toward others? Given different circumstances, what would have happened to your issues of lying, lust, greed and hate had you not had the upbringing and environment that you had? Aren't we all just one step, one choice, one mistake away from being just like those we despise? In Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis said of pride: there is no other sin so wholly offensive when we see it in others, yet so completely unrecognizable in ourselves.
In Harper Lee's famous novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch tells his young daughter Scout that you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. This was in reference to the character Boo Radley, a reclusive neighbor who was the subject of gossip and rumors and hence, harsh judgments about what kind of man he was. Scout is consumed by the mystery and speculation about Boo at the beginning of the book, imagining him to be some kind of monster. However, he ends up saving Scout's life and the two become friends despite her original prejudice.
In closing, I'd like to, once again, invoke the words of Max Lucado as he masterfully describes the danger in assuming a seat on the judge's bench too quickly:
"Not only are we unworthy, we are unqualified. We don’t know enough about the person to judge him. We don’t know enough about his past. We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn’t see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk but cannot see the tack in her shoe. We mock the fear in their eyes but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts they have dodged. Are they too loud? Perhaps they fear being neglected again. Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again. Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried. You don't know. Only One who has followed yesterday’s steps can be their judge.
Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. Dare we judge a book while chapters are yet unwritten? Should we pass a verdict on a painting while the artist still holds the brush? How can you dismiss a soul until God’s work is complete? "God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again” (Phil 1:6).
Be careful! The Peter who denies Jesus at tonight’s fire may proclaim Him with fire at tomorrow’s Pentecost. The Samson who is blind and weak today may use his final strength to level the pillars of godlessness. A stammering shepherd in this generation may be the mighty Moses of the next. Don’t call Noah a fool, you may be asking him for a lift.”
– In the Grip of Grace
ADDENDUM:
I've received, a few messages about this blog that made me think that I need to clarify my intentions for writing it. Teaching has shown me that when 1 or 2 people raise their hand, it probably means that there are several more who have the same questions or thoughts. So, just in cae you were wondering:
Q: WHAT WAS MY REASON FOR WRITING ON THIS TOPIC?
A: Let me start by explaining what WEREN'T my reasons for writing this blog. My intent was not to justify serial killers or bash religious legalists. And it wasn't to say that the sins you and I commit on a daily basis (big or small) are inconsequential. I had 3 main points that I was trying to make:
1). The biggest point that I was trying to stress in all this was that we are ALL guilty. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 6:22,23).
2). My second point is that, in light of our OWN guilt and sin, we should be reluctant to deal so quickly and harshly with those who are n the same boat as we are. NOT that we are supposed to completely suspend all righteous judgment, but that our judgment should be tempered with grace and mercy. "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" (James 2:12,13)
3). The final thing I hoped to do is bring a message of grace and hope to those who have been living under the dark cloud of their own guilt and shame for too long – those who can't seem to find their way out, either because of their own fear or due to the harsh judgment and unforgiveness of others. Again, I am not trying to say that the consequences of sin should be ignored or that it should be thought to be the same as virtue. Sin is sin and, "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). But let us remember the way that Jesus handled the woman who was caught in very act of adultery by an angry mob of self-righteous accusers with the perfect balance of grace and justice:
John 8:3-11
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
If you are living under the lonely shadow of the guilt, fear and shame of your own sin... know that Jesus paid for ALL of it on the cross – ALL of it! If the adultress doesn't have to cower in the presence of the Prince of Peace, why should you cringe in fear of the hypocritical judgment of others. Their condemnation is not to be encouraged nor are they to be hated for it. For how could those of us who are SO desperate to receive grace from our accusers not extend the same grace to those suffering from the identical disease that we are infected with?
Jesus has taken care of it all: our accusers, our guilt, our shame and our sin.
Q: WHAT WAS MY REASON FOR WRITING ON THIS TOPIC?
A: Let me start by explaining what WEREN'T my reasons for writing this blog. My intent was not to justify serial killers or bash religious legalists. And it wasn't to say that the sins you and I commit on a daily basis (big or small) are inconsequential. I had 3 main points that I was trying to make:
1). The biggest point that I was trying to stress in all this was that we are ALL guilty. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 6:22,23).
2). My second point is that, in light of our OWN guilt and sin, we should be reluctant to deal so quickly and harshly with those who are n the same boat as we are. NOT that we are supposed to completely suspend all righteous judgment, but that our judgment should be tempered with grace and mercy. "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" (James 2:12,13)
3). The final thing I hoped to do is bring a message of grace and hope to those who have been living under the dark cloud of their own guilt and shame for too long – those who can't seem to find their way out, either because of their own fear or due to the harsh judgment and unforgiveness of others. Again, I am not trying to say that the consequences of sin should be ignored or that it should be thought to be the same as virtue. Sin is sin and, "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). But let us remember the way that Jesus handled the woman who was caught in very act of adultery by an angry mob of self-righteous accusers with the perfect balance of grace and justice:
John 8:3-11
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
If you are living under the lonely shadow of the guilt, fear and shame of your own sin... know that Jesus paid for ALL of it on the cross – ALL of it! If the adultress doesn't have to cower in the presence of the Prince of Peace, why should you cringe in fear of the hypocritical judgment of others. Their condemnation is not to be encouraged nor are they to be hated for it. For how could those of us who are SO desperate to receive grace from our accusers not extend the same grace to those suffering from the identical disease that we are infected with?
Jesus has taken care of it all: our accusers, our guilt, our shame and our sin.
