For there is nothing
covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3Therefore
whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that
which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops — Luke
12:2-3
It
may help sell newspaper but it is news that can make you sick to your stomach.
A number of women, up to 60 thus far, have accused Hollywood producer Harvey
Weinstein, age 65, of sexual harassment, assault, even rape. Weinstein was
fired from his own company, the Weinstein Company, and was expelled from the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Weinstein’s long, lucrative career
is in tatters, even though he denies having ‘non-consensual’ sex.
Then
award-winning actor Kevin Spacey has also been accused of harassment - mostly
of men. His first accuser is actor Anthony Rapp of sexual advances in the 1980s
when he was only 14 years old. Spacey says he does not remember the incident,
offered an apology, and then had a ‘coming out’ as a gay man. Afterwards, other
men came forward and claimed Spacey sexually harassed and/or assaulted them.
That was enough to get Netflix to suspend indefinitely production of House
of Cards, and not release Spacey’s film Gore. In addition, the film All
the Money in the World will be re-filmed without Spacey, even though it is
close to the release date.
How
quickly these two powerful men have been professionally ‘slain by scandal.’ The
fallout has been enormous and the retribution swift:
Of
course, predatory sexual behaviour is not just limited to Hollywood and
left-wing progressives. High-profile figures are getting exposed. One
gubernatorial candidate and state supreme court judge decided to preempt
everything by putting a Facebook post about the 50 ‘very attractive women’ he
has bedded over 50 years (1 a year). This is not a way to advance your
political career or prevent allegations of sexual harassment (though, no doubt,
some men congratulated this man for his ‘sexploits’). Yet what has come out, in
general, is deeply disturbing.
The
sexual revolution of the 1960s can take some blame. Not only was that the
period when Hollywood flagrantly forsook family-friendly entertainment for the
violent, sensuous, and sleazy, but the revolution taught it was okay, even
desirable, to break the rules of sexual morality. In such of environment, not
only has there been more illicit sex, but also the abuse of sex, too.
Powerful
people throughout history have abused those ‘lower down the totem pole.’ Some
willingly submitted to the abuse in order to gain personal promotion and
advantage, others simply were in the way. Abusive power is noxious.
Hypocrisy
from the larger community is also to blame. High-profile people who advocated ‘woman’s
rights’ decry male ‘micro-aggressions’ on social media but turned a blind eye
to the serial abuser. Could it be that the latter donated a lot of money to
their chosen political party or supported favoured politicians. somehow turned
a blind-eye to the stories surfacing
Something
we should all be aware: accountability is inevitable. Nothing will be covered
up forever. Imagine: abuses that happened decades ago are brought up as today’s
news? Abusers who thought they could continue on their rampage with impunity,
and buy there way out of trouble, are finding that there are some things money
can’t buy - grace, exoneration, cleansing, and forgiveness.
Even
if an abuser escapes justice in this world, Romans 14:12 is clear: Every one of
us will have to give account of themselves to God. Before we are tempted to
take a ‘holier than thou’ mindset, remember we need to get our own hearts right
first, and then help others do the same (Galatians 6:1). Repentance and faith
in the gospel does miracles in turning a black-hearted individual into ‘pure in
heart.’.
If
you want to ‘scandal-proof’ your personal life, remember three things:
1.
Live by the fear of the Lord (Proverb 16:6);
2.
Walk according to the precepts of God’s Word
(Psalm 119:11), and
3.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
You
will be like Teflon where the grit and grime of the world will not stick but
easily wash off.
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