Ted Haggard este din nou in atentia media prin incercarea de a coagula in jurul sau un grup de oameni care pot constitui nucleul unei viitoare biserici. Un personaj care nu a acceptat sesiunile de refacere spirituala pe care un grup de crestini i le-au recomandat si si-a format propriul program de refacere care se termina de fapt cu o repozitionare a sa in functie pastorala (ca daca are dar omu’ ce conteaza pacatul, nu?), nu prea merita pentru mine atentie in momentul acesta.

Ce a fost remarcabil pentru mine in toata perioada acelui scandal si dupa aceea(interviuri, documentare, etc), a fost demnitatea sotiei lui si copiilor sai cu care au parcurs acest drum al rusinii.

O cartea a lui Gayle Haggard (scrisa impreuna cu Angela Hunt) va aparea la Tyndale House Publishers in prima luna a anului viitor, purtand un titlul la care m-am gandit deseori: “De ce am stat; alegerile pe care le-am facut in cea mai neagra perioada a vietii mele”

Gayle Haggard nu este disponibila pentru a da interviuri pana anul viitor dar am gasit intr-o publicatie din Colorado Springs cateva pasaje demonstrative din viitoarea carte:

GAYLE RECOUNTS THE MOMENT WHEN THE SCANDAL INVOLVING A GAY ESCORT AND TED BEGAN.

“When Ted’s cell phone buzzed, he glanced at the message on the screen, and his countenance changed. He handed me his phone so I could read the text he’d received from a pastor friend. A homosexual ‘escort’ in Denver has leveled an accusation against a nationally known evangelical from Colorado Springs. The escort hadn’t yet identified the man he was accusing; he said he would do that on a Denver radio station the following morning….”

“‘Ted, is there anything to this?’” I searched his eyes as we sat across from each other on our son’s bed. ‘Do you know this man? Don’t let me be surprised?’”

“”I don’t know this man,” he answered.”

THE NEXT DAY, AFTER MIKE JONES REVEALED WHO THE PASTOR WAS, TED MET GAYLE IN THEIR ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, JUST THE TWO OF THEM.

“My heart skipped a beat when I heard the serious tone in his voice. When the door closed behind me, I felt the life begin to drain from my body. I sat down across from Ted at the attorney’s conference table, and as I looked at him, I saw that his expression had changed. This was not the confident man who had entered the building with me only a few moments before. This man’s face had contorted with anguish.

“I sat stunned in my chair as Ted looked at me with the saddest eyes I have ever seen on his face.”