How could he?

I have this friend. When I describe him to people I tend to compare him to the main character in "Big Fish" the movie because his stories most often had a glimmer of truth, but were always blown out of proportion. He had a serious case of delusions of grandeur. He was a partner in ministry in Savannah who left following a divorce. He went back to UGA to finish his master's degree, however, he stopped abruptly. I talked to him shortly after he left Athens, and he told me all about the new job he was offered in Florida, and I bought it. When I went to Savannah a couple of weeks ago I had lunch with one of my girls from that ministry who had been particularly close to this friend. In our discussion I brought up this friend, and she hinted that she knew there had been something (pardon the pun) fishy about why he left UGA. My friend that joined me on the trip did some googling, and found an article. I am including some key information from that article:

"Most college women think it's pretty unlikely someone will slip a date-rape drug into their drink, but (Names have been removed) learned different when she woke up in a strange Conrad Drive house at 7 a.m. one morning in July 2007.

Her clothes were nowhere in sight, a man she hardly knew was touching her, and she had no idea how she had gotten there....

She will never know with scientific certainty that her drink was spiked- date-rape drugs are undetectable in blood just hours after ingestion, she learned. But she doesn't doubt that's what happened after she talked to two women in her circle of friends who say that they had almost the same experience, with the same man...

She had to swear out a warrant against the man, a Thunderbolt (a small community in Savannah) native named (again, the names have been removed) and go through a hearing before police would arrest him."

I can not begin to discuss what thoughts and feelings this stirred up in me. This is a man that I trusted, that I joined in ministry. This is a man that I have eaten with, stayed up late with. I love this man, not romantically, but the deepest forms of philo, friendship love. I have prayed with him. I have shared some of the deepest parts of myself with this man.

What do you do when you feel betrayed by people that are so close to you? I am reminded of the youth minister at my home church that was arrested for chatting with a girl that was underage. Shock. Disappointment. Confusion.

It makes you realize how fragile we all are. It makes you wrestle with the reality that no man is immune to original sin. We are all infected. We are all capable of doing the most disgusting things. Oh, God! Thank you for providing a way to freedom from sin. How hopeless we are without you! Who are we that you would want a relationship with man?

Soundtrack: Trouble is a friend, Lenka & Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, Cage the Elephant