The news is out. Longtime TV personality, news anchor, and show host Barbara Walters had an ongoing affair with U.S. Senator Edward Brooke, a moderate Republican from Massachusetts, in the 1970's. At the time, Walters was an aspiring journalist and rising star in television news. Edward Brooke was a popular politician -- the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate. According to an article published today in The Boston Globe, a colleague referred to Senator Brooke as "the Barack Obama of that day."
At the time that the affair took place, Barbara Walters had already been divorced twice. Right around the time that the affair ended, Senator Brooke divorced his wife as well. He eventually remarried and lives in Florida. (Brooke is 88 years old, and Walters is 78.)
In her newly released book Audition, Barbara Walters described Senator Brooke as "the most attractive, sexiest, funniest, charming, and impossible man." She goes on to say, "I was excited, fascinated, intrigued, and infatuated."
If you want to read Walter's recollection of the affair, you can buy the book or tune into The Oprah Winfrey Show, where Walters will share her a couch-side confession with the TV host in an upcoming episode (gag me with a spoon).
The point of interest for me lies in the reason for their breaking off the affair. It was in order to save their careers. Simple as that. No mention is made of God or of any moral convictions regarding the illicit relationship. This brings to mind the Clinton-Lewisky scandal. While most Americans were riveted to their television sets to get all the dirty details, the fact is that two-thirds of the American populace felt that what Clinton did was his business and nobody else's. This "majority opinion" spoke volumes about the moral terpitude of our nation and its low view of sexuality and marriage.
I pray that we who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ would reflect God's purpose and blueprint for marriage, as stated by Jesus Himself in Matthew 19:4-6:
And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
Jesus went on to say that the only reason God allowed divorce was "because of the hardness of your hearts ... but from the beginning it was not so," and that "whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery" (Matt. 19:8-9). These are hard words to hear, especially in a day of "no fault" divorce and no sense of commitment. The divorce statistics are as bad in the evangelical church as they are in the unbelieving world.
Oh, that we would shine as lights in this wicked and perverse generation! May our marriages reflect a passionate and holy love that portrays the love of Christ for His Church, and vice-versa (see Ephesians 5:22-33). I thank God for men and women in our congregation who refuse to give up on one another, but rather work through the struggles of marital love in this life, not to "save their careers," but to glorify Christ and to learn what it means to love one another as He loves us.
Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. -- Hebrews 13:4
For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures.... But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. -- Titus 3:3-8
I spent some time, and remembered when I married my wife, and the things the pastor said in his sermon. He said that marriage symbolizes Christ's relationship to the church. Jesus is absolutely trustworthy and faithful to us, and we are to be the same with our spouses. If we have a strong marriage, we gain a deeper understanding of Christ's love for us.
ReplyDeleteThe other point he made is that love is costly. The Father loved us so much that it cost Him Jesus. On a smaller scale, marriage can cost us, as we pass up on opportunities the world gives us to spend time nurturing our relationships with our wives and children.
I often think about the example I am showing to the world, especially when it comes to marriage. Am I showing the world a godly picture or a worldly picture? In a godly picture, I would be submissive, supportive, edifying, trusting, loving and honoring: my THOUGHTS, words, actions and even facial expressions would show the world that I love and respect my husband. In a worldly picture, they would see selfishness, distrust and disrespect, every word and deed a calculated movement to attain what is best for ME.
ReplyDeleteI am a Christian, a strong Christian with a very conservative (old-fashioned) mindset. There are things that are right and things that are wrong; I am old enough to KNOW the difference. Even with all of that, I am certain that the picture of my marriage still misses the mark of a godly one. Selfishness, fear, faithlessness and weariness dominate. The few moments where I have been miraculously molded by the Spirit of our gracious Lord are lost in the weeds of my frailty.
If the world looked at me, would they see a good reason to be married or a reason to run as fast as possibly away from marital purity and straight to the non-committal ways of this world? The shame of the answer here sends me to my knees, begging the Lord for grace, wisdom and courage.
Good point. In a world that presents a very distorted view of marriage and sexuality, we as Christians have a wonderful opportunity to show them the "real deal" as God intended. Good marriages not only bless us; they bless the world around us. Thank you for pointing this out and for sharing in such a personal, authentic way.
ReplyDelete