On Hypocrisy, Forgiveness, and Paula Deen

I’ve been thinking on hypocrisy, forgiveness, and Paula Deen.

Let me see if I have the situation right:   Paula Deen swore to tell the truth in a deposition for a lawsuit.  In her telling the truth, she admitted that she had used the “N word” at some point in her life.   She told the truth, then her world came crashing down.  The Food Network dumped her.  Her sponsors dumped her.  Some of her fans have dumped her.  Anchors on news shows and pundits are all dumping on her for telling the truth.

Would they rather that she’d lied?  After all, in America, lies are the new truth.  Or so it seems when you’ve done something you can’t go back and undo.  She spoke the word so she had two choices: tell the truth or lie about it.  There was no going back.

Consider the hypocrisy, though, of what has been going on by all the people talking about it.  Those who ought to respond with forgiveness to her truth and her apology are refusing to forgive,  because apparently to them, the “N word” is the unforgivable sin.

When the truth is told before the Judge of the Universe, I wonder how the anchors and the fans and the sponsors and the Food Network executives will answer these questions regarding their entire life:

1. Have you ever used the word faggot for any reason other than describing decorative stitching or bundles of sticks?
2. Have you ever said, “That’s gay” but not in reference to something very cheerful?
3. Have you ever called someone a “cracker” or a “geezer” or “ho”?
4. Have you ever used words that aren’t fit for me to print in regard to someone, besmirching his or her character, referring to one of several body parts?

Or the one that will probably be most important to the Judge of the Universe who said this:

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

Deposition time, anchors and fans and sponsors and executives and Paula Deen and you and me.  Time to tell the truth:

Have you ever said “Jesus Christ” as an exclamation of frustration or said “Oh my God” without reference to Him at all?

The Judge will look at each of us, knowing the truth.

So here’s the question each of us should be asking ourselves:

Someday will I want the forgiveness that I am so unwilling to extend to Paula Deen?

So whether the “N word” is an insult or a word beneath your consideration; whether you’re tired of being called a ho and take it to heart or let it pass by, the person who spoke these will be accountable for his or her words.

But what about you? 

Your real question will be whether you will extended forgiveness to those who apologized

or whether in your hypocrisy, you withheld it. 

Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.