Anybody care for a Snicker?
Jerry Falwell, Jr. President of Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, is either stepping down, or said he would then said he’s not. There have been ill-advised photos posted of the President, revelations about Jerry Jr. being at the wrong place when there was no right time to ever be there, and the announcement that his wife had an affair years ago, and that her lover had been extorting them.
The man Falwell has accused of extortion has his side of the story, which differs markedly in some of the most sordid details. People are already commenting that they can’t wait for the book to come out (I wouldn’t be surprised if one did… it would fly off the shelves, and the money would fly into the pockets of the author. The man’s name is Giancarlo Granda, and he is now "the victim" and he’s probably sorting through the offers this morning.)
And it’s “The Snicker Heard ‘Round the World.” There are Lynchburg residents who don’t like Junior or the memory of Senior, even though the Rev. Buddy Frankland said of the original Jerry Falwell that he was “clean as a hounds tooth.” Jerry Falwell was successful, popular, and well known, and there are many who don’t trust even the little preachers, not to mention the big ones. According to the detractors, they’re money hungry, phonies, and any other derogatory term one can imagine or invent.
And now, once again, there is a whole stack of fuel for the raging fire. When King David murdered and committed adultery, the prophet Nathan said (2 Samuel 12:14) “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, …” And God’s Word tells us that after King Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle, David lamented (2 Samuel 1:20) “Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.”
Try to minimize the snickers!
We don’t know exactly the degree of Jerry Jr.’s sinful guiltiness, and maybe we never will. (Talk about “he said she said”). It’s certainly not the first fall of a hero, (or trip, or stumble, or jump off the Grand Canyon) and just as certainly it won’t be the last. All have sinned, and all keep sinning. The very best human beings are still just that.
We, as Christians can best minimize the snickers by keeping Isaiah 30:21 at the forefront of our minds “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” It’s never worth it, Satan is sure to extort at some point, the embarrassment and humiliation are extreme and extremely hurtful, and the enemies are just biding their time until they can point their gleeful and hypocritical fingers at the fallen.
Save yourselves the snickers, and never forsake the Holy Ghost’s whispers.
Love and Prayers to all,
Pastor
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