In the midst of the campaigning in South Carolina, an old affair came back to haunt Republican Presidential Nominee Newt Gingrich. At the beginning of the final debate the first question of the night concerned an earlier interview with his ex-wife. Mr. Gingrich was “appalled” that such a question would open a presidential debate. So should we all be appalled that the basis for the question was even available to be put into play.
Most political candidates, when pressed, will admit that they have shortcomings just like other folks and will talk about forgiveness. The presumption is that if you believe in forgiveness then you should forgive, and especially you should forget and vote accordingly. It’s a political thing. Anyway, I certainly would not like to have my life replayed on a stage full of people wanting to make me look bad while the cameras are rolling. Politics is certainly not for the faint of heart.
But real life is not for the faint of heart either. Sin is everywhere around us. Opportunities to sin crop up again and again; and the flesh is weak. Fortunately, there is forgiveness available through God’s grace.
We would all like to have our sins forgiven and forgotten. Forgiven is easy. Forgotten (in this life) is something else. You see, there are earthly penalties for sins that come into play before we stand before the throne on Judgment Day. While God washes our slates clean, the memories of our mortal companions have captured in Kodak quality vividness the events of our lives. Those events will pop up from time to inconvenient time. This is the mortal burden of sin.
So you can bet that this will not be the last time that Newt, or likely any other politician, will find him or herself appalled at a question concerning their sinfulness at an inconvenient time. It does make for interesting TV and sells advertisements. It doesn’t make a hill of beans otherwise since we all fall short.
Jesus was right when he said “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”