I don't want to be the gingerbreadman.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12


My mother stopped by the office this morning to visit. She brought with her some news from her church. If you attend church regularly and love your church family, the kind of news she had to share will make you stop a moment.
Her pastor was fired.

It was a decision made by the three deacons of the church. Those are only facts that we know for certain.

There are rumors of other things. Rumors of literal pre-meditated destroying of the church (selling the building and taking the money), coercean and greed - rumors though are simply that, rumors. But as I sit here pondering the rumors I've just heard, I started thinking about the verse I quoted at the beginning of the post.

You think certain people are 'safe'. You can go to your pastor and confess a sin to him, because he's a pastor so obviously he wouldn't be tempted to gossip about it. You can share your secrets with the deacon because he would never hold it against you. You can leave your child with the Sunday School teacher, because they would never assault your child. You can leave your purse unattended, because your church family would never steal your money. You can tell the church family you'll be gone for a week on vacation, because none of them would ever break into your home while you're gone.

Some of these things we don't think anything of. And while I don't think we should live our lives filled with distrust for our Christian brothers, I do think we should dispel the notion of 'safe' people. Paul said beware lest you fall. He wrote it in a letter sent to the church in Corinth. He didn't address his statement to the 'bad' people, or the struggling people, the ones that ony went to church once a week, or the ones that didn't tithe, the ones that didn't worship in the worship service, or the ones that spent half their church lives badmouthing the pastor. He addressed it to the church. And every member thereof.

I'm not safe. You're not safe. The tempter stalks us as a lion. He might have an easier time picking off small snacks from the weak, but he's willing to chase long and hard after some of his stronger meals. By the grace of God I'll outrun him. But I know the only way to do that is to keep running!

I don't preach. I can't even teach. So this post might not hit anyone else. But I hope one day I'll go back and read this and remember. That I'll remember 'safe' people fall, and that I'm not safe. And maybe that constant sense of danger will keep my eyes open. Honestly, it's worth every precaution I can take.

Run, run, run as fast as you can.
You’ll never catch me,
I’m the gingerbread man.
I ran from the baker and his wife too.
You’ll never catch me, not any of you.

He climbed up onto the fox’s back,
Who licked his lips and wanted to snack.
He climbed onto the fox’s head,
Who loved the taste of gingerbread.

Run, run, run as fast as you can.
You’ll never catch me I’m the gingerbread man.
He trusted the fox to help his plan
And that was the end of the gingerbread man.