The Ted Haggard situation raises a lot of questions, doesn't it? For one, who is Ted Haggard? (For history, see http://www.tedhaggard.com/gazette.jsp ) Was the deal motivated by politics? Is he really gay? Or is he homophobic? Are all clergy people like that? What about Catholic priests? Can we trust the words of a male prostitute who sells drugs? And those questions are just a few. But here is one question we all need to ask: Who am I?

I know that question sounds out of place, but the Ted Haggard mess really does raise that question. Who am I, as a Christian leader, to throw stones? Or on the other hand, to excuse him? I need to remember that Ted Haggard is no different than me when it comes to temptations or sin. No one is exempt. The opportunities to do the wrong thing are numerous and they are obvious. Leaders of the church are just as susceptible to make the wrong choice. And am I more afraid of getting caught doing the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing? A huge difference exists between those choices. I need to be careful that certain things are in place to protect me from falling, whether anyone else finds out about it or not.

Who am I, as a Christian, that I would raise a man up on such a pedestal that his fall could be so far? One of the challenges in our American culture is the celebrity status we give people. Why do we seek autographs? Why do we want our picture made with them? Why do we flock to stadiums to hear certain people sing or speak? I have to admit that I've paid for tickets to concerts before. I've gone to hear certain speakers. Namely because I knew it would be worth attending. But in so doing, have I helped create a culture that exalts people too highly? So many of the problems in American Christianity today is rooted in ambition and pride.

I may be blogging out of turn here, but I don't see Jesus selling tickets to His sermon on the mount. I don't see Him following the media frenzy. In fact, He told people, "Don't let anybody know about Me." Even when He declares the way of suffering as the path God had chosen for him, remember the outcry from Simon Peter? The difference between the two was their heart. "Simon, you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

And so, part of the Haggard fiasco really comes back to me. I have to ask the question: Who am I? And to honestly admit that many times I have desired the pedestal and that there will be moments in the future when I will probably desire it.

My prayer for me and for other Christian leaders is that we will be careful about the pedestal. Perhaps the advice of Proverbs 4:23 expresses my prayer best: "Lord, help me guard my heart above all else. For it is the wellspring of life."