Crooked path indeed

This is the second one of these this morning. We'll see if this one takes. The worst thing about losing one of these is I don't remember what I wrote before. Says a lot about me, I reckon.

Let's begin with the Proverbs.

The third one tells me this, "⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

Can you imagine more meaningful instruction? Leaning not on my own understanding means I never step out the door without God by my side. God understands when I don't. God knows when I can't. God sees where I'm blinded either by useless ambition or by intense false pride.

He even sees, maybe especially sees, when pastors fail him.

In South Carolina today, Dale Richardson is behind bars, having been arrested on charges of kidnapping and raping three women at gun point. Unfortunately that happens all too often, but what makes this different is Richardson is the pastor of the Freedom Free Will Baptist Church.

While he hasn't been convicted of anything, his name has now been removed from the sign outside the church that has a congregation of about 50 people. Those attending last Wednesday night's service who were willing to be interviewed did not condemn Richardson.

"He's always been a real sweet person. He's always taught God's word," said Virginia Davis, who has been attending the church about a year. "He's been honest with me since Day 1. I'd let him look me right in the face and tell me he did it, because I don't believe he did it."

Straight paths. A preacher who is accused of raping women in a trailer behind his church. Seems at the best that Richardson didn't learn quite enough from the writer of the proverb. At worst, he went off the straight path.