The church is the support network during all of life's storms. But when the storm comes from within the church, then what? When the preacher is a predator, the safest place in the world becomes a nightmare.
As long as good and evil exist, there will be people who choose to commit crimes. They are easily recognized as criminals, even though they may wear a stocking on their head or don a ski hat. Their face may be covered, but you know the character of the person behind it. They hold a gun to a clerk’s head and demand money. They light a match, burn down a house and run. They hide in the woods and attack and rape women. Their obvious hostility tells us who they are. Their overt actions tell us where they stand. I know it sounds strange, but though they have no moral integrity, they have integrity in the sense that they’re being true to themselves. What you see is what you get.
There are others who suffer this same criminal behavior, but they are too cowardly to be true to themselves. Their hostility is not at all obvious; they have mastered the art of hiding their true nature behind an attractive façade. They would rarely be labeled a criminal because their actions are covert. Like a magician, their moves are hidden to the unsuspecting. They don’t use “slight of hand,” but “slight of tongue.” Like a masquerader at a costume party, they don’t wear masks made of plastic or feathers; they wear the mask of understanding eyes and a superficial smile. They steal, destroy and exploit but they don’t use a gun, or a match, or brute strength. Their weapons don’t alarm or frighten us; in fact, they actually attract us!
What are their weapons? Personal charm and charisma. But they need ammunition, and they get it from you. If you are like the majority of people, you will gladly give it to them. What is this ammunition? It’s your trust. Without your trust they can’t fleece and betray you. Without your trust, they can’t gain the information they need to bamboozle you for their own selfish wants. Their personal charm and charisma, combined with your trust is the dangerous combination that ambushes you.
We’ve all been stung by these scorpions; some are crooked salesmen, others are shady co-workers. But some of them go one step further, and join the ranks of trusted helping professionals, so that their attack is not on an equal playing field, but from a position of power. Alas, the poison in their sting can be lethal.
Excerpt from Foreward
Because we have an opportunity to choose our attitude and focus our intentions in the present moment, the world and our own personal lives are a reflection of our thoughts. It is our 360 degree review on how we think. Put simply, our job is to fully
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