Pastor or real estate salesperson?

Once again another story of a pastor of all things, taking advantage of his flock. This is an excerpt from the article:

RIPON, Calif. (AP) — For nearly a decade, members of Ripon’s First Congregational Church bared their souls to Pastor Randall Radic. But clearly it didn’t work both ways. There were certain things he wasn’t telling them.

That became obvious a year ago, when Radic pleaded guilty to betraying his flock and secretly selling the church and its rectory out from under them. He used the money to buy himself a brand-new black BMW and a laptop — exploits he later chronicled in a cheeky, almost gleeful blog about his double life as a sinner.

What astounds me is how someone who we trust with something most sacred to people who have religion in their life, our religious guidance could so betray that trust. If you are dealing with someone who is a criminal, or has a past history of mental illness then you know to an extent what you can expect or the blow doesn’t hit you quite as hard if something goes wrong with that relationship. But a pastor, priest, reverend or clergy is a bit of a shock. These people are supposed to show you the way to live your life towards what God intended. The betrayal cuts even deeper in that instance. I have blogged previously on this subject, and the salaciousness of the stories never seize to amaze me. A “Fall from grace”

fall from grace,

a.	Theology. to relapse into sin or disfavor.

is especially hurtful when it is from those who are supposed to be above reproach. But in the end we know that only Jesus and the Father truly fit that role. Our humanity makes us less then how we were intended to be.