In our men’s Bible study recently, we were talking about accountability and how one points out error without appearing (or worse, being) prideful. I noted that I had recently read someone who said that Jesus is the only way to God, and quickly followed that up by writing, “Don’t get mad at me. I didn’t say it.”

The point of being an accountability partner is not to conform someone to your agenda. The point is to help them to be conformed to God. When we remember that any truth that we speak is simply God’s truth, and we had nothing to do with it, then we are on the right road to speak truth in love.

I am reminded of numerous times when Billy Graham was being interviewed, and the interviewer would ask him what he though of a particular issue. Almost without fail, the first four words out of Dr Graham’s mouth would be, “Well, the Bible says . . .” He realized that what he thought of an issue was irrelevant.

Anyone who hasn’t been under a rock recently knows about the whole scandal of former NAE president and pastor Ted Haggard. While we may not be Haggard’s accountability partners, the same spirit of humility should be applied to our reactions to this situation. Beyond prayer for everyone involved, if there are things that God can teach us in this, we need to be receptive. In his blog, Mark Driscoll gives many good thoughts on just this subject. But before getting into “what can we learn?”, Driscoll notes:

Of course the media is having a field day with the scandal . . .

Unfortunately, it’s not just the media. And what’s worse is that the others ought to know better.

I wrote a couple weeks ago that I was giving up on the watch-blogs and their ilk, and as a result was even going to have to limit my readership on other blogs that may link to them or upon which their authors may comment. And, for the most part, I’ve done just that. I had a couple of lapses, but I was able to keep my mouth shut and not share the stupidity with others. And I have not had any such lapses since the story about Haggard broke.

Yet even with such insulation, I stumbled across two blogs that see this, not as a horrible situation into which a brother has fallen (though I’m sure that they’d claim to see it that way), but as validation from God of their views on the modern church.

Now I happen to agree, in general, with many of the issues that they raise regarding the failings within the modern church. But I disagree with it being an incessant topic of discussion, as this belies a fatalism which, in turn, belies a very low view of God and His power (which, as I’ve noted before, is ironic as most of them claim to be reformed).

And certainly, discussing the issues surrounding Ted Haggard is not a time to be beating your drum — into the ground (if I may mangle — but reflect accurately — the metaphor). While God certainly can use anything, I’m thinking that a brother’s fall, meth, and gay sex aren’t real high on His list of things to use to give you a warm fuzzy.

I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised. After Pastor Kyle Lake died from electrocution in front of his congregation last year, some yahoo claimed that it was God giving a sign to the emergent church (in which Lake was strongly entrenched, apparently). One of the watchblogs applauded this idiot’s opinion, and it was this watchblog that was one of the two places where I found the unChrist-like reaction to the Haggard story.

I don’t know anyone in his right mind that doesn’t think that Fred Phelps (of “God Hates Fags” infamy) is a full-blown nutcase and completely unrepresentative of Christianity. And, if there was anyone who wasn’t sure, he convinced them when he and his followers started picketing the funerals of men and women who died serving their country, claiming that their deaths were God’s punishment for America’s general acceptance of homosexuality.

Such activity is reprehensible. Yet, at least Phelps is honest enough to represent himself as being thankful and glad for horrific tragedy because he thinks that it bolsters his prejudices. Meanwhile, the watchbloggers put on sackcloth and ashes, and then go dance on Lake’s literal grave and Haggard’s figurative one. And, if anyone calls them on it, they point out the sackcloth and then classify the accusations as further bolstering of their beliefs, claiming that their accusers are simply under the same spell.

Of course, in pointing out this hypocrisy, one has to be careful not to sink to their level (which, if I read this right, is below Fred Phelps — yuck). The title of this post refers not to Ted Haggard (as you probably suspected, at first), but to the watchbloggers.

Lord, You have shown me not to pray that I am thankful “that I am not like” Ted Haggard. But keep my humility in check, lest I pray that I am thankful “that I am not like” the watchbloggers.