He has been very careful when telling friends and the church that he and his wife have separated. He gives no deep explanation, apportions no blame. In everything he tried hard to be neutral and fair…it seems like the right thing to do.
Robbed of the full story, people make up their own version of events.
One night the phone rings. It is a friend, a leader in another church.
“I’ve just been at a city-wide prayer meeting,” he tells, “where a member of your church felt ‘compelled to share, just for prayer, of course’, that their minister had separated with his wife and was having an affair.” Fortunately, another close friend of the man, who knew more than most about the situation, had quickly quashed the rumour and defended the man’s integrity.
But damage had been done, and the rumours continued to grow.
The man realised he had been very naïve…
Pilgrim Traveller 