Ashley Madison and Christians

         My heart has been heavy today. Burdened for the marriages and families being hurt and broken this week due to the Ashley Madison data breach. There has been so much negativity and judgement spewing from all angles toward those caught using the site. Some of the worst offenders are Christians. My concern in this post lies for the Christians using the website, and the Christians passing judgement on the company's members.
          The fact of the matter is this: sin is sin. Was the website disgusting and wrong? Yes. Was it wrong for people to sign up for it, especially with the intention of adultery? Of course. Was it wrong for people to be having affairs? Absolutely. I am in no way condoning, excusing, justifying or supporting the actions of anybody involved here.
          But when I look at myself, and remember every sin I have committed, and all of my wrongdoings, I know I have no room to speak. Am I free from sin? Nope. Are you sinless? No. Have we all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? You bet. That's it. We are all sinners. We don't all sin in the same way. Not all our sins are made public like this. We are all guilty though. I don't believe that God sees one sin as being worse than another. All of them are what put Jesus on that cross. All of them are what killed Him, not just one specific one.
          So what on earth gives us the right to judge? Christ chose the cross, knowing full well that we were all going to sin and we needed a savior. He showed us unfathomable mercy and compassion. And now, we have an opportunity to reflect that for all the world to see. We aren't called to hate somebody. We can love them without agreeing with or supporting their choices. We don't need to be kicking people while they're down, and condemning them at their most vulnerable states. We can come alongside our fellow believers and help them up. We can love them and help them in their struggles.
          Bottom line: We can use this opportunity as a way to glorify God instead of a way to allow worldly influences to have control. Love like He did. Forgive like He did.


" To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God forgave the inexcusable in you." -C. S. Lewis