I've been thinking a lot about the Jerry Falwell, Jr. situation, especially because of the number of tweets that have come through my feed in the last twelve hours or so that have caused me to reflect on it.

Here's what I've come up with, for what it's worth...

Much has been said about the dangers of celebrity pastor culture and much more needs to be said about it.

We should also, as a church, be mourning the papal tendencies of the American "Protestant" church that has abandoned historic and biblical doctrine for the sake of "self".

American Christianity's glorification of personal autonomy lends itself to rank consumerism and toxic leadership.

(This is not to say the historic denominations of the Reformation don't also struggle with this, but it seems to be much more frequent in "non-denom" settings)

When we hitch our wagons to leaders with ultimate authority instead of acting as Bereans, holding our leaders as God-given servants subject to the standard of the Word of God, we should expect the situation at Liberty to be the norm.

There is, however, a different angle on this situation that needs to be identified.

The church, by and large and regardless of denomination, is addicted to "I told you so-ism" and "Gotcha-ism".

It seems to me that far too many people, and myself included in this at times, were simply waiting for Falwell to go down in a blaze of glory.

We were licking our chops at his impending failure.

This ought not to be.

The church needs to return to a theology of "There but for the grace of God go I."

The Falwell situation shouldn't cause triumphant feelings for anyone.

It should cause self-examination and repentance and it should induce mourning.

Each and every one of us, and especially those of us in positions of leadership, are only one bad decision or one excused sin away from going down that road.

The fall may not be as public, but it is always a possibility because of the sin that clings so closely.

This is why, in the church, we ought to go back to being ambassadors for Christ and ministers of reconciliation rather than merely social watchdogs, political pundits, or cultural commentators.

When we offer the world Law and Gospel - when we preach the Word of God and point to Christ on the cross and the empty tomb, we maintain not only our biblical focus, but we proclaim a message that extends the same grace, mercy, and forgiveness to us as well as to the world.