Have You Had the Swagger Knocked Out of You?
How can professing Christians like Michael Tait live lives that are total contradictions? There is a simple answer and solution.
About ten years ago, I attended a Franklin Graham event in Toronto and after his talk, I sat with several others listenign to a concert by the Newsboys. If you’ve ever watched musical groups like them, you know they’ve got lots of swag. Everything is about lights, noise, and action.
This week, after a report came out accusing the lead singer, Michael Tait, of sexually abusing young men and chronic substance abuse, Tait released a statement on Instagram admitting the allegations were “largely true.”
While his confession was sad, it was the middle of his statement that struck me. He wrote: “I’m ashamed to admit that for years I have lied and deceived my family, friends, and fans.” He added, “I was not the same person on stage Sunday night that I was at home on Monday.”
But if there was one line that angered me the most, it was the seven words from the beginning of the article that brought this abuse to light. In a post for The Roys Report, Jessica Morris wrote, “It’s been called Nashville’s worst-kept secret,” before going on to list instance after instance of alleged abuse. Apparently, Tait’s actions were far from a secret.
Two Big Questions
It’s scandals like this that always lead me to ask two questions: 1) How could this person live such a double life? 2) How could so many let him get away with it?
The second question might be easiest to answer. Most people don’t want to be boat-rockers and they naturally give the benefit of the doubt to those who align with their beliefs. “Hey, we all have our issues” or “Who am I to judge?” are some of the common refrains.
It's amazing what people are able to rationalize when they think someone is "on their team."
But the first question is tougher. I can’t say if Tait ever had a genuine relationship with God, but I’ve known a number of people who started out well but finished poorly. They didn’t start off divorcing their Sunday belief from Monday living, but life ground them down, and as it did, their true character started to show.
That personal relationship and deep experience they once had with God changed. Now they’re doing things they never would have imagined.
Humility Is the Solution
Because the fundamental root of all sin is pride, the key to being a consistent Christian every day of the week is to walk in humility.
