I’ve never been a fan of reality TV. I don’t watch the Kardashians, or the Bachelor, or Duck Dynasty.  I did watch Honey Boo Boo a few times, but it was like watching a bad car wreck and not being able to take my eyes off of it and wanting to close my eyes all at the same time. My life has enough drama on its own, and I just don’t need to watch other people’s drama in my free time.

Then this happened. http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/21/us/josh-duggar-child-molestation-allegations/ And I wanted to throw up. As a counselor, I’ve seen the effect that sexual abuse has on victims. It’s real and it’s traumatic and it follows the victim for life. Victims can learn tools to help themselves cope and all that, but let’s be real. NO ONE should have to experience any kind of abuse, and sexual abuse is particularly awful. There are not winners in any of this.  But there are some losers.

I’ve read a bunch of stuff online since the Josh Duggar thing happened. Haters on all sides have chimed in. The thought I keep returning to is this: Once again, Christians don’t look any different than the rest of the world. It’s not like I don’t know this, but every time a public Christian figure does something embarrassing, we all take the hit. Those of us who follow Jesus have to listen to those who don’t say things like,”Christians aren’t any different. They talk all high and mighty about sin and are so judgmental of everyone, and then they do the same things.” The truth is, they’re right and that makes me sad. It kills me when public people make public mistakes and the world watches and laughs. I want to get all defensive and tell them that we’re not all like this.

But then I remember that in many ways we are all like this. It may not look like sexual abuse, but it doesn’t look like Jesus. We do make many mistakes and there are a lot of days that my following Jesus doesn’t look any different than the day of someone who doesn’t. That makes me sad too. And grateful for God’s grace.