Compassion AND Consequence

As always there's drama in this social group or that social group. There's liars and cheaters and thieves, oh my! And the lions share of drama revolves around sex.

And this week's drama on the "political right side" there's another double adultery scenario. Where both parties are in relationships or married and betraying their others. (note to the reader: If you think "your" political side doesn't have these problems you're so blinded by anger and media programming that you're not participating in reality. It's a human problem. "right", "left", whatever are meaningless.)

Names are irrelevant, this is a fallen world. They are just two of the billions who have been adulterous throughout history. And they are just two of the billions who will be adulterous in future days.

Sin, and especially sexual sin isn't going anywhere until the whole world is remade. So guard your marriage every day. It's not hard to safeguard your marriage against adultery, but be aware you can never truly be immune to the possibility either.

One thing that came to mind watching the latest story unfold, and the public responses to it is that Christians have lost the healthy middle when it comes to moral collapse.

Some people are full of grace such that they minimize adultery because we should be understanding, compassionate and gentle with people who have fallen.

While others are full of condemnation and wrath towards the adulterers.

But are either correct?

Well both sides certainly think they are correct...

But what if each side is entirely correct AND completely wrong as well?

You know that old adage "two things can be true at the same time"?

Should we have compassion for people who fall? Sure, because they are exactly the same as us. Even if the area they fell in is different than our personal struggles, it's still the same. Sin is sin. Adultery is no better or worse than taking The Lord's name in vein. Murder is not worse than gossiping or adultery.

Should we also have anger towards the people who betray their spouses, betray their children, betray their families, betray their friends, betray their communities? Yeah, yeah we should absolutely be angry at them. Because they are harming countless people with their deceit.

Adultery is not a single victim sin. It harms countless people today and countless people for years to come. Adultery is not a "broken bone that heals and is ok afterwards". Adultery is a cancer that ravages families and communities for decades and even multiple generations.

You also have to taken into consideration what you are doing or not doing as it impacts the victims of the adultery. If you are without anger towards the betrayer, how does that look and make the innocent spouse feel or perceive you? Does the betrayed spouse see you as taking the side of being compassionate with the cheater instead of them, the faithful spouse? The absence of something tells you something. And the absence of anger towards the betraying spouse tells the innocent spouse you are against them...

Similarly if you are consumed with anger towards the betraying spouse, how are you not being judgmental? We all sin, you or I are not any better than the adulterer. We just have other sins we contend with. How is what they have done sooo much worse than the darkness you have done in your own life? Are you that self righteous and pompous as to rage at one person's sins as though your sin isn't a stench before a Holy God?

So how do we move forward in society? Because let's face it. Everyone is "talking" about this or things like it. Everyone has opinions on things. Everyone has compassion or wrath. Everyone has judgement.

But who has a healthy path forward? We'd have to know what healthy would be wouldn't we?

The Lord is full of compassion, grace and mercy. And The Lord is full of anger and separating sin from his presence.

Should we not be embodied with both? Grace and Anger?

This is where consequences come in.

Yes, if you are actively or just recently uncovered for adultery you need to face the consequences. Whether that's financial ruin, banishment from community for a time, social loses, divorce, whatever. We need to let the consequences happen. And that happens when people are not afraid to confront and talk about it publicly.

Yes it sucks for kids to deal with one of their parents being a cheater or homewrecker (applies to both genders). But community, society and the well being of everyone over time is dependent on the community around that person holding them accounting and allowing the consequences of their actions to play out.

AND

We all need to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves. Are you getting too angry at the person? Are we calling for consequences that are above and beyond, or would hurt the innocent even more than they are already hurt?

If you are too angry, maybe you should step back from the other person's drama and look in the mirror. If you are too angry you might be hiding something yourself... you might have a hard heart... you might be devoid of grace and mercy. Or you might think yourself above others...

Be angry and be compassionate

Have compassion and let the consequences happen

Or said more simply:

Stop playing God, he doesn't need a single ounce of your help