Hello World,

If I hadn’t heard this was a true story, I would have thought that some very imaginative and skillful Christian novelist wove this story early one morning after watching episode  after episode of “Fatal Vows” on the Investigation Discovery (ID) Channel, my new favorite channel!

Have you read the story of “Bishop Dies of Apparent Heart Attack After Wife Allegedly Pushed Him to Confess Infidelity to Church?” on The Christian Post.

You must read this nearly unbelievable story but basically what happened is that Bishop Bobby Davis of of Miracle Faith World Outreach Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut died a week ago today after he told his wife Christine to whom he had been married for 50 years that he had been unfaithful some time ago. He told her before the church service, and she pushed him to confess to the congregation in a special meeting after the church service. Apparently, his children were also unaware of their father’s past transgression and mayhem ensued. According to The Christian Post, “It got physical. One of the sons attacked him. I was told one of the daughters poured water on him. It was like something out of, not even like the Old Testament, but a bad reality TV show,” said the source. “My heart is so devastated because it could have been handled in a private manner.”

Reportedly, Bishop Davis, who was apparently and ironically, a certified marriage and family therapist, had a heart attack at his church and was later pronounced dead at Bridgeport Hospital.

As a newly married woman and a Christian, this story is disturbing. I have so many questions.

• What caused this man of God and marriage and family therapist to cheat on his wife?
• What prompted the bishop to tell his wife of this infidelity after such a long time had passed? (Apparently, the person whom he cheated with had passed away.)
• In light of what happened, are his wife and childen regretful of how their actions may have contributed to the bishop’s death?
• Was the way he died evidence of God’s judgment?
• Was the bishop’s ministry negated because of one sin?
• Did the bishop go to Heaven?
• What can we learn from this story?

Here are my answers to the questions I posed:

• I don’t know the exact circumstances that led to the bishop’s cheating and perhaps no one will never know now that he is dead. However, he was not the first man of God that succumbed to his temptation. Read the story of David, a “man after God’s own heart,” who committed adultery, in 2 Samuel 11.
• When we sin and do not repent, we create a barrier between ourselves and God.  We are told that in Isaiah 59:2. We are also told in James 5:16 that we are supposed to confess our sins to each other to be healed.
• I don’t blame the reaction of the bishop’s family to his infidelity because I am sure they are deeply hurt by what he did, and from what I read, this is the first time they heard about his infidelity. But hopefully they can move past all of the anger and bitterness they feel and forgive him. We are told in Ephesians 4:31-32 to let go of anger and bitterness and forgive a person if that person has asked to forgiven as Jesus Christ has forgiven us.
• With the dramatic way the bishop died, it’s hard not to wander if the way he died was evidence of God’s judgment. It does state in the Bible that if we continue in sin and take communion Sunday after Sunday knowing that we have not confessed our sins, we can invite God’s judgment. Read 1 Corinthians 11:29-31.
• So was the bishop’s entire ministry negated because of one sin? I don’t think so. In Romans 3:23, we are told that all of us have sinned. As Christians, we should be less susceptible to sin as we grow in our faith, but we will never be completely sinless until we are in Heaven with God.
• So is the bishop with God in Heaven? I think so! If Jesus, while dying on a cross,  promised a thief dying next to him also on a cross, that they would be together in Paradise, then I believe Heaven is where the bishop is this morning! Read the story about this blessed thief in Luke 23:32-43!
• What can we learn from this story? I guess that depends on where you are in your life. For me, I am learning that marriage is work. Not that I’m not happy, but to honor the vows that I took on Aug. 10 last year is work…I’m praying that God will help me to live up to what I vowed to do…

Any thoughts?