When
the Truth-Bearer Falls: Responding to the Revelations about Ravi Zacharias
John Stonestreet | BreakPoint | Monday, January 11, 2021
Two days before Christmas, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
confirmed that its
founder had engaged in sexual misconduct over the course of many years. Ravi, a
highly regarded speaker, author, and apologist, died a few months ago. In its
initial “interim” report RZIM leadership not only confirmed the allegations but
promised a full and thorough final report.
Like so many others, I’m devastated. Ravi was
not only a significant personal influence for me, he was a great friend of this
ministry for years. In fact, he was a guest on one of the last radio broadcasts
I co-hosted with Chuck Colson. I remember beginning the interview by
apologizing for all the times I inadvertently plagiarized him over the
years.
When Ravi died, the Colson Center honored him
in a number of ways. At the time, there were initial allegations that had been
investigated and dismissed. We trusted the information provided to us. We were
wrong. I believed and shared excuses for Ravi’s behavior, and in doing that, I
misled others.
There is no sugar-coating, excusing, or
explaining away Ravi’s behavior. It was sinful. It was wicked. And, it was
folly, which is one of words Proverbs uses to describe sin. Simply put, our sin
makes us foolish. Buried in sin, we actually think that, for the first time in
human history, we will be the ones to get away with it.
Not only this, but Ravi’s sin left victims.
The most harm was done directly to those women he abused, human beings made in
the image of God and for whom Christ died. Other victims include family,
friends, and the disillusioned around the world who benefitted from Ravi’s
teaching.
Recently, a BreakPoint listener emailed us
asking how we should respond to cases like this, when a Christian leader or
teacher is caught in sexual misconduct. Is it possible to separate the good
that they’ve done and the truth they’ve taught, the person and their sin? And,
what about in cases such as this, when the perpetrator is gone and has no
further opportunity to acknowledge his sins, repent, and seek forgiveness?
[Last week on the BreakPoint Podcast, Shane Morris and I attempted to offer
an answer. You can listen at BreakPoint org or. wherever you get your
podcasts.]
We need not deny that Ravi’s teaching helped
many Christians make sense of the Faith, deal with their doubts, and engage
other people with the Gospel, while we also acknowledge the truths revealed by
this tragedy, including the truth about who we are as fallen human beings.
Pastors and Christian leaders, as Shane pointed out, are not “made of finer clay” than anyone else. So, any sort of
righteous indignation or superiority we’re tempted to feel toward the fallen
should be quickly overwhelmed by an important and humbling admission: There, but
for the Grace of God, go any of us.
Another point to consider, on a Christian
worldview analysis level, is that, to borrow a phrase popularized by Christian
educator Arthur Holmes, “all truth is
God’s truth.” In other words, if Ravi Zacharias ever said anything true in his
life, and of course he did, he was not its source but only its medium. Any
truth – all truth – comes ultimately from God, outside of time or place or
context.
A postmodern worldview, in contrast,
relativizes truth to cultural settings or individuals. In other words, truth is
not absolute. But, if truth is dependent on the shifting sands of attitudes,
beliefs, perceptions of a culture or an individual, anything we build on it
must collapse when any of those things do.
The Christian view is that Truth, even when
delivered by sinful creatures, is as eternal and unchanging as God Himself. Of
course, that truth about truth doesn’t make what has happened any
less painful, disorienting, or consequential. Just because the truth that has
been spoken remains true does not mean the privilege of
speaking the truth as a ministry or church leader (and it is an incredible
privilege) should continue for anyone. Speaking the truth is an enormous
responsibility.
Finally, let’s be reminded again, especially
those among us granted some degree of leadership, that we must be accountable
to others. We must not trust ourselves, but only God and His Spirit. Pray for
your pastor, church leaders, spouse, and whomever else God has placed in your
life, that He would protect them from the real and ever-present temptations
that could harm them, others, and their witness for Christ.
And, please, pray
for Ravi’s victims, for his family, and RZIM.
Publication
date: January 11, 2021
BreakPoint is a program of the Colson
Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content
people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism
and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 –
2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian
perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a
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on the go.
John
Stonestreet is
President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a
daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current
events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is
the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
Photo
courtesy: Ravi Zacharias Facebook
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In sadly reading the above my thoughts turned
to God’s revealing Truth including His chosen penman David. Are we not blessed
in maturation by his words included in His Word? EBB4
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