This past week as I have somewhat followed the court case of Caleb Flynn I have felt a range of emotions from disbelief through to disgust and even almost-fear. For those who don't know (and DH is one of them because he avoids social media), Ashley Flynn went to sleep in the marital bed on the night of February 16, 2026 and never woke up. Her husband supposedly discovered her with two gunshot wounds to the head and claimed it was the work of an intruder. Three days later he was arrested for the murder of his wife and it quickly came to light that he was having an affair with worship leader Alleigha Botner from his church and who was almost half his age. Police have recovered over 107,000 text messages that they sent each other over a twelve to eighteen month period, which amounts to something like 300 messages a day.
Church. Worship. Adultery. Lies. Secrets. Murder.
If this has overtones of David and Bathsheba that's because there are some similarities. But there are also some critical differences. I want to examine them briefly perhaps as a means of being able to make sense of all of this.
Firstly, King David lusted after a woman who was off limits, just as it appears Flynn did. Flynn was a married man and despite any attraction he may have felt for Botner she was, and should have always remained so, out of his reach.
Secondly, King David wasn't where he was meant to be or doing what he should have been doing. He was at home at a time when kings usually went to war. He saw Bathsheba bathing and sent for her. There were any number of moments he could have prevented falling into sin. Turned from the temptation. Not acted on those thoughts or feelings. Flynn was a married man who apparently sent text messages to a single woman to whom he was attracted. At any point he could have stopped - either one of them could have. Botner could have ignored the messages. She could have gone to her pastor if Flynn refused to take no for an answer and while there may have been recriminations for one or both of them, surely that would have been better than the situation they find themselves in now?
Thirdly, King David tried to cover up his sin. According to court reports, Flynn and Botner were careful to keep their affair concealed. When Ashley reportedly saw messages on her husband's phone and asked Botner to meet with her, Botner was "too busy". Was "busy" a euphemism for guilty, I wonder?
Lastly, King David had Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, killed. While Flynn has not yet been found guilty of his wife's murder, he is standing trial for it.
However, there is one critical difference. When the prophet Nathan confronted King David with his sin, he repented. He still had to suffer the consequences of that sin (the loss of the son born as a result of their sin) but he repented and turned back to God. Only God knows the hearts of those involved in this court case and whether they have repented but to date Flynn is still maintaining his innocence. And that's something for the courts to decide.
Meanwhile, a woman is dead, her children motherless, and a family is hurting. Day after day her parents and sister and brother-in-law have to sit and listen to evidence that must continually open their wounds.
But as disturbing as all this has been to read, there's another question that haunts me: why are we seeing more and more news stories of a similar nature? Pastors, singers, authors, apologists, leaders, teachers who all claim the name of Jesus acting in such a way that even the world points a finger at us.
It seems that we've dropped our guard. Perhaps it's a natural outgrowth of having it too easy. Of always being able to satisfy our desires. In the western world at least, we lack for nothing. Freedom, food, entertainment, pleasures are all there for the asking. Our grandparents may have had a want-not-waste-not mentality, they may have chosen to save for something, but in our day of instant credit, purchasing at the click of a button, we've become used to having what we want when we want it. And I can't help but wonder if that's rolled over into our moral arena as well. We've never been deprived of even the smallest thing, that we have not learnt to say no.
There are multiple reminders in Scripture that Satan wishes to destroy and the necessity for us to be on our guard. In the Lord's Prayer where Jesus famously taught His disciples how to pray, He says, "And lead us not into temptation". He knew temptation would come and that we would need to resist it, and yet we seem to have forgotten that.
We fail to put boundaries up to keep ourselves and our marriages safe.
We walk into situations where we are tempted rather than turn aside.
We think we can handle it only to discover that we keep getting deeper and deeper into sin.
We rely on our own power rather than on the Spirit's power.
We turn our noses up at the idea of being set apart because we want to be accepted.
We dabble with sin and are so blind that we fail to recognise the chains that bind us.
As Christians, as the Church, as the Bride of Christ, we need to do better.
Open our Bibles.
Rely on the Spirit.
Recognise our weakness.
And our enemy.
And never ever think we are above sin.
In 1868 H. R. Palmer penned the following hymn ...
1. Yield not to temptation,
for yielding is sin.
Each vict'ry will help you
some other to win.
Fight valiantly onward;
dark passions subdue.
Look ever to Jesus;
He'll carry you through.
Refrain: Ask the Saviour to help you,
comfort, strengthen, and keep you.
He is willing to aid you;
He will carry you through.
2. Shun evil companions;
bad language disdain.
God's name hold in rev'rence,
nor take it in vain.
Be thoughtful and earnest,
kind-hearted and true.
Look ever to Jesus;
He'll carry you through.
3. To him that o'ercometh
God giveth a crown.
Through faith we will conquer,
though often cast down.
He who is our Saviour
our strength will renew.
Look ever to Jesus,
He'll carry you through.
