Dear Sir,
Your review of The Secret in June en made some very pertinent points about the drama. However I believe there are further lessons that can be drawn from this sad tale.
The Actions of the Church.
• Divorce was viewed as unthinkable by the church. But it has to be conceded that sometimes divorce is the right answer. There can be repentance – and forgiveness. In this instance, divorce would, it seems, have prevented murder.
• Forgiveness (once repentance was professed) was urged upon the parties. But this can place a burden upon the victims. It makes the offender seem the virtuous one, by repentance, and the victim (who finds forgiveness difficult) the one not behaving in a loving Christian manner.
• Real pastoral care will look for signs of true heart repentance, and will not be satisfied with a mere verbal statement.
• There is often a desire to ‘sweep it under the carpet’ so that those inside and outside the church do not get to know.
• After the affair was initially discovered, if the families were to be given a chance to heal and stay together it would have been wise to make sure one of the families moved to a different church.
The Deceitfulness of Sin
• These things do go on in evangelical churches! There have been far too many instances of adultery and similar sexual sins in ‘sound’ churches. Every time there is such a failure it brings dishonour upon Christ.
• It seems almost incomprehensible that a man could talk in such biblical terms and convince himself that this was God’s will when committing murder. But self-deception of this kind is so widespread. We can know the whole Scriptures in our minds and yet fail to have them hidden in our hearts. Having a man to preach a few sermons is no way to assess his suitability for leadership.
• Paul warned the elders at Ephesus that wolves would arise from amongst their own number. Could we conceive that standing in our pulpit is a double murderer, continuing in his sinful ways? Yet it happened.
• The utter selfishness of both the murderers stood out. Selfishness cannot co-exist with true love, which is its complete antithesis. Having the love of Christ in our hearts is the best bulwark against our enemy.
• A few too many lustful glances, followed by a fateful touch in the swimming pool, began this tragedy. How a small beginning, a loose word or action, can end up in such a place.
Yours sincerely,
