My warm thanks go to CM reader Daria for writing this in response to the revelations regarding minister Ted Haggard’s secret life:

“I read Ted Haggard’s letter to his congregation and was surprised to find him taking responsibility, apologizing, asking for forgiveness, and blaming no one. I thought of how Martha Stewart, Ken Lay, and Mel Gibson all failed at this. So while I may deplore Haggard’s actions, I don’t condemn the man. (If anything, I empathize with his brokenness.)

I’d encourage anyone who is quick to judge (or condemn) to read this letter as well as the one written by Gayle, his wife…What happens next in the Haggard’s lives may be the purest example of how they live their faith. Isn’t our response also a demonstration of our own?”

And gracious thanks to CM regular Myrna Weinreich for posted this on the same subject: “Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness!! Or is it compassion as well? Let’s start trees of forgiveness and plant them all over the universe!”