PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE LIFE

First, it was President Bill Clinton.  Now it's Representative Gary Condit.  In both 
instances, it involves scandals over inappropriate relationships with female interns.  
In Representative Condit's case, the disappearance of Chandra Levy pried open his 
private life for all the world to see.

In both instances, supporters of these two politicians have cried "foul!"  They 
complain that the public has no right to know what their political leaders do in 
private.  Or to paraphrase some of their statements, "What one does in private 
doesn't affect how they perform in office."

Oh!  Really?  Then why has the nation's spotlight been focused on the scandals 
involving these two men.  When so many other areas of need were crying out for 
attention, Americans have wasted literally millions of hours engrossed in the moral 
failings of their political leaders.

For one to believe that their private life doesn't affect their public performance is 
to live with one's head buried in the sand.  Life is not that neat.  We can't 
compartmentalize life that easily.  We are "integrated" beings and what we do in 
one area of our lives (be it in our families, in our married lives, in our spiritual 
struggles, etc.) has implications for all other areas of our lives.

Unfortunately, one of the great kings of the Old Testament had to learn this lesson 
the hard way.  King David—the man after God's own heart—thought that he could 
have an affair in private and it not affect his role as leader of Israel.   Nothing could 
be further from the truth.  His affair with Bathsheba had devastating consequences 
both for his private life and the life of Israel as a whole.

The reality is that our actions in life—whether private or public—has 
consequences in all areas of our lives.  If our actions are evil, then the 
consequences will be evil.  If our actions are good, then the consequences will be 
good.  Or to use Jesus' words, "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree 
bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear 
good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into 
the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them" (Mt. 7:17-20).

							God Bless,
							Leslie Chapman