Your Sin Will Find You Out

We are called to be bearers of the light of Christ and to shine His light on the darkness in our own hearts and in the world around us. Ephesians 5 says this:
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

Unfortunately, our acceptance of what does not please God has enormous consequences. If we allow ideas and ideologies to permeate our minds and hearts, then our spiritual lives are weighed down and we are not as productive as we ought to be.  We are living in a dark culture that will certainly impact us negatively if we don't remain clothed in the light, adorned with the armor of God. And, we should always be bold to speak truth and walk in light, so that darkness is exposed and a contrast is seen.

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In Numbers 32, two and a half tribes from Israel wished to settle on the east side of the Jordan River 
and not live in the land promised to them. They did say that they would fight with the other Israelites to subdue the "promised Land." We read this in the chapter:
20 Then Moses said to them, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle
21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out before him—
22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free from your obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the LORD.
23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.

Your sin will find you out.

It's certainly a tragedy.  And, a reminder to all of us that what we may do in darkness might just come into the light.   That darkness includes our use of social media.

There don't seem to be any secrets these days - and that should maybe even serve to hold us accountable as we seek to please our Lord and to honor Him.

By now, you're probably familiar with a sad story of a popular small-town mayor in East Alabama who also served as the pastor of a church in Phenix City.  The story has taken a life of its own, but it didn't begin with a series of article on the website, 1819News.com, which, if you know anything about that news operation, it is committed to sharing truth.  

And, it has told the truth about this individual, who, according to a story released last Wednesday, "...had a secret life playing out online on social media and Reddit." It reports that, "Smiths Station’s mayor operated social media accounts as a transgender woman under the pseudonym Brittini Blaire Summerlin."  He regularly posted, "... in various outfits, some more racy than others. He also posted boudoir pictures of himself in women’s underwear. He "posted regularly on Reddit but also operated a private Instagram account on which he encouraged contact."

Pastor and Mayor F.L. "Bubba Copeland" did an interview with 1819.  The article said:

During an interview with 1819 News, Copeland confirmed that he operated the account and was featured in the pictures.

He claimed it was only a means of “getting rid of stress” and called the postings a “hobby” and a “fantasy.” He also said his erotica was “purely fiction.”

After the interview, Copeland promptly deleted the accounts and asked them not to be made public due to his family and position as a pastor.

Copeland initially denied having any knowledge of the accounts, but when he was made aware of the social media evidence, he quickly admitted to running the page. He also said that his wife was aware of his activity, but no one else in the community.

Following the initial story, Copeland faced his congregation. The website noted:

"I have been an object of an internet attack," Copeland said. "An article that was written about my capacity as the mayor [and] capacity as a pastor. The article is not who or what I am."

He downplayed the content he posted, calling it an "attempt of humor."

"Yes, I have taken pictures with my wife in the privacy of our home in an attempt of humor because I know I'm not a handsome man nor a beautiful woman either," Copeland continued. "I apologize for any embarrassment caused by my private, personal life that has come publicly."

Two statements really jump off the screen from this story. One is that the pastor told the congregation, "I have nothing to be ashamed of." He also said to 1819 that, "What I do in private life has nothing to do with what I do in my holy life..."

Last Friday, law enforcement was called to Copeland's home.  1819 News noted:

Our prayers are with the residents of Smiths Station, the parishioners of First Baptist Church of Phenix City and Copeland's family.

Per CNAW News, the Lee County Sheriff's office went to perform a welfare check on Copeland around 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Deputies reportedly saw the vehicle and attempted to get Copeland to stop. The mayor got out of the vehicle around 4:34 p.m. and then took his life after producing a handgun.

Yesterday, 1819 News noted that:

Two women who claimed to be victims of deceased Smiths Station Mayor F.L. "Bubba" Copeland told parts of their story during the 6 p.m. broadcast of Columbus, Ga.'s WTVM Monday evening news.

Recently, 1819 News revealed Copeland wrote erotic fiction about murdering a real-life local business owner to steal her life, as well as posting pictures of other locals with explicit commentary without their consent.

Another woman from the community has now come forward, and the Sheriff of Lee County has stated that an investigation is underway and any information will be presented to a grand jury.

This is certainly a tragic story and hits at so many different levels.  Yes, there are those that believe this man's private life should not have been the subject of news coverage, and that the news outlet is receiving the blame.  

Well, it's not exactly that this man's double life was a secret - it was all over social media - and apparently somebody knew about it, had concerns, and tipped off the media.  Now, the man has taken his own life - his sinful behavior was exposed, and it apparently became too much to bear. And, this activity truly has now emerged as potentially criminal behavior with real victims.

So, we grieve the double life that this man was carrying on; and we should rightly pray for his family, his city, and his church.  And, this gives us an opportunity to shine the light on ourselves.  Are we doing anything "in secret" that does not please the Lord?  Proverbs 11, in the NIV, says, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity."  We have to make sure that we are acting, and even thinking, in accordance who we say we are as Christ-followers.

And, just a word about online interaction. This is certainly what could be considered an extreme case. But, we can evaluate our own online interaction.  Does it truly reflect the presence of Christ in us?  Does what we post on social media demonstrate that we are devoted to following Christ, or does our persona cause people to stumble?  We have to be careful not to hide behind an online persona that contradicts or fails to reinforce our allegiance to the Lord.