Possibly you heard about this when it happened. I didn’t. Bryce and Jessica, worship leaders at Crossroads, just told me about it this week. You can watch the story on YouTube, or read about it here. The song in question, Healer, is on the Hillsong album, This is our God, released August 2008. What to say?
The chorus of this songs says “And I believe you’re my healer, and I believe you are all I need. And I believe you’re my portion, and I believe that you’re more than enough for me. Jesus you’re all I need”.
Yes this man lied about a cancer diagnosis but the truth remains that he, and the rest of us, are in desperate need of a healing touch from Jesus. In these weeks of media and scrutiny he will need to believe these words more than ever. I do not think that this means that it shouldn’t have been on the Hillsong album or that it shouldn’t be sung today.
Thoughts?
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09.12.08 at 10:10 pm
I agree that Mike’s sin does not discount the truth in the words that he spoke. And I believe that God chose to bless others through him, not because he was a good person but because God’s mercy on others. I’ve heard it said that the gifts are given without repentance.
Having said that, though, my concern is that the shock of the enormity of his deception will carry the story and overshadow an issue worth discussing — how can we change the culture of the church so that our young ministers can break the grip of shame on their lives so that they don’t have to go to these fantastic lengths to preserve their facade? And more importantly, how can we continue to promote a culture of honest and accountability so that those who protect the flock can be protected themselves?
And… if that weren’t hard enough, does the answer to the previous question change if we’re talking about uncomfortable issues of sexuality?
Because our temptation is to just call this an isolated example, and that’s part of the problem. There are far too many other young Mikes struggling with this same issue.
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09.13.08 at 12:39 am