I do not pretend that what follows is easy to digest, and I fully expect some pushback. In truth, this may raise more questions than it answers (I certainly hope it does not lead you to question my commitment to orthodox Christianity). We love it when life is black-and-white. Unfortunately, living between Genesis 3 and Revelation 22, life is not often kind enough to draw the solid lines we want. In 2014 I entered a ministry situation where, unbeknownst to anyone, my predecessor had been committing heinous crimes against children for the better part of a decade, using the church facility itself as the primary venue for his depravity. In 2016 when that information came to light, it made ministry there nearly impossible. The fallout of his perversion touched every single aspect of the church and beyond, and covered everything we did under a heavy cloud. It was without question the darkest years of my life. During the months when news was still fresh, I bumped into an old friend...