Mistaken Madge: A recipe for disaster

Posted by admin on Apr 12, 2006 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

This article expresses my concerns towards the ideas presented by Chris Madge in his article, “The Recipe for Recovery” in Mars’ Hill’s last edition. In his article, Madge condemns the way the incident involving Dr. Snider has been handled because the details of the incident have not been fully disclosed. Madge believes the method of “full disclosure” is the one and only way to achieve restoration. Although he claims to be writing from a biblical perspective, his comments deviate almost completely from Jesus’ example of interacting with others.

Madge opens his article by telling us to use Jesus as our guide to interacting with people. I am unaware of the details surrounding Dr. Snider’s incident, but the term “sexual harassment” was used. Whether it does or doesn’t have to do with sexuality, let’s look at the way Jesus dealt with those who succumbed to sins of the flesh in order to better understand, as Madge says, “how [Jesus] lived his life and interacted with all types of people.”

In John 8, we read of the Christians of Jesus’ day bringing to him a woman caught in adultery. According to Madge, hiding the details of others’ sins is unbiblical, and cannot lead to restoration. However, Jesus turns down the option of forcing the woman to unveil the details of her sin. He does not ask for any particulars surrounding her crime. Through His words, “[I do not] condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11) he forgives her sins, heals her through his words, and reinstates complete restoration to her life. For her, restoration is not achieved by gathering her friends, family, and the strangers who live in community with her and telling them every detail of what she has done. It is attained through Jesus’ non-condemning love.

I agree with Madge that, as Christians, we must be held accountable by others, but those who hold us accountable should be those with whom we are close, who know our character, and who are available to encourage us after we have shared our sins. The Board has assured us that Dr. Snider has repented of his actions, which leads me to believe that he has repented to God, been forgiven, and is now being held accountable to the Board. Why then, as his brothers and sisters in Christ, do we feel justified in demanding that he tell us what happened? Or assume that he has not found restoration from the One and Only who can give it to him? Also, why should he need to suffer further from, as Madge says, consequences for his actions? The adulterous woman of John 8 suffered no known consequences related to her sin, so why should any of us who sin?

My view is that we should not have to feel burdened and pressured into revealing to everyone the things which God has already forgiven in our lives. In His eyes, after we repent, we are seen as pure and blameless. Unfortunately, instead of viewing each other the same way, we often feel the need to take matters into our own hands, fully uncover the other’s faults, and take away the dignity that God gives us when he calls us clean.

Assuming that Dr. Snider, as well as any of us who sin, has not repented before God and received restoration through His love, and that God’s grace is insufficient, is wrong and unbiblical.

P.S. The Beastie Boys should have won second.