When I was nine years old I asked
my father what a pimp was. I had seen a
movie called I’m Gonna Get You Sucka,
it was the film that put the Wayan Brothers on the map. In the movie there was a pimp by the name of
Fly Guy, played by Antonio Fargas. In this movie Fly Guy had won an award
entitled Pimp of the Year. At the time I
had no clue what a pimp was. Sure he
talked funny and walked around in odd colorful clothes, but I knew it had to be
more to being a pimp than that just because of the fact he received an award
for it. I was kind of nervous about
asking my father because usually when I asked him a question like that his response
was, “I will tell you when you are older” which I hated with a passion. At the time we were in the car and
I had been working up the nerve to ask my father. He was driving, right arm stretched behind
the passenger seat, hand resting on the back of the headrest. I remember
leaning forward and resting my chin on his arm and said, “Daddy?” as sweetly as
I could.
“Yes Gina.”
“What’s a pimp?”
I held my breath anticipating my
father’s answer, but to my surprise he answered me without hesitation.
In Detroit if you are on 8 mile
there is a light right under an overpass where you would turn left to head to
I-75 North, and at this light you will notice that there is always a homeless
man sitting in a wheelchair right at the corner. It doesn’t matter what time of year, it doesn’t
matter what the weather is, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is, there he
is sitting there holding a sign. He has
been there ever since I was a little girl and I’m sure if I were to go there
right now he would be sitting there.
My father motioned with his head
to the corner where the homeless man sat and said,
“Pimps are evil men that make
young girls stand on corners like that and do nasty things with men for money,
then they take the money and the girls don’t get anything.”
It was one of those bitter cold
days where the ferociously cold wind would bite exposed skin so hard that it
would leave a red mark. I looked over at
the homeless man and the idea of standing next to him in that bitter cold frightened
me. He looked quite scary and I was sure
that he smelled.
“But Daddy,” I asked, “why would
the girls do that?”
“Because they are stupid.” He
replied
“Well what kind of nasty things do
they….”
“Never mind, I will tell you when
you are older.
I didn’t ask any further
questions. I knew to stay away from men
who said they were pimps. I didn’t know
what the girls did, but I knew it couldn’t be good. I figured they had to do something like wash
the homeless men. Then on top of that
they didn’t even get paid for it!
That was not the only conversation
that my father had with me, or my sisters about men and the games that some of
them play. How some would manipulate
women and try and take advantage of them.
The reason why my father was open about that was because he has six
daughters and he didn’t want someone taking advantage of us. He wanted us to understand that not all men
are good men, that there will be people out there that will try and take
advantage of us. That would hurt us, and
ruin us for their own twisted means, one that would try and make merchandise out
of us.
One of the main problems with the
church is that leadership has never acknowledged the fact that there was, has
been, and always will be Pimps in the Pulpit.
Too many times it has been swept under the rug, trying to hide the
problem. The problem with sweeping
something under the rug is that eventually there will come a day when people
will notice the mound that is under the rug, because everyone will trip over
it.
Now there are those who would say
that you shouldn’t walk away from some someone because they fall. That we all have sinned, fallen short. That we are supposed to lift those people
back up in love.
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual,
restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou
also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
When someone falls we are supposed
to hold them up in prayer, and encourage them to get back on the right track,
this is not the type of people that I am talking about here. Just like there is a difference between a
married man succumbing to temptation and sleeps with a woman once, and a
pimp. There is a difference between a
pastor who screws up once and a pastor whose conscious is seared with a hot
iron.
There have been countless numbers
of people who have walked away from church, walked away from God because they
have become disheartened by the activities behind the podium. They think that there is nothing to
Christianity. When truthfully there has, was and always will be people who get
into ministry for no other reason than to make money off the people, not to
help them. People that will use the
gifts that God has given them for evil, not for good. Whether it’s to fill their own pocketbook or
have their own private haram.
There are multiple instances in
the bible where you had people who were supposed to ministers and prophets of
God who used their gifts for their own private means.
In Numbers the 22nd
chapter you will come across the story of Balaam whom God would speak to, but
took money from the King of Moab to curse the Israelites despite the fact that
God told him not too.
In 1 Samuel the 2nd
chapter you will read the story of the Priest Eli and his sons. Eli’s sons were stealing the offering and
seducing you women at the tabernacle. Because
Eli allowed it to go on, the whole family was punished.
In Jeremiah it wasn’t that much
different then as it is today. There
were people who claimed to be prophets yet they “commit adultery, and walk in
lies” and it is because of this they “strengthen the hands of evildoers, that
none return from his wickedness”.
(Jeremiah 23:14)
Jesus warned that there will be
false prophets. (Matthew 7:15)
In Acts the 8th chapter
you will come across a story of a man by the name of Simon the Sorcerer, a man
who received Christ and was baptized, but yet he still offered to pay the
Apostle Peter money to teach him how to impart the Holy Ghost, so that he could
have the power. Simon was a man that was
used to being adored and worshiped, and even though he had believed on Jesus,
he still wanted to use Christianity for his own personal gains, as he done
before when he was practicing witchcraft.
Church people will do some of the
dumbest stuff. We won’t go to a mechanic
who we know charges you for stuff you don’t need, but we will sit up under a
pastor that tells the people that he’s seen Jesus fifty million times, but not
one of those times he told them to stop sleeping with the women in the
church. We won’t let our spouse talk to
their ex for the fear that some old feelings might rise up. But you will allow your spouse to have
special one on one counseling with a minister that you know has slept with
various women (or men) in the church.
You won’t loan your neighbor a cup of sugar, but you let your pastor
talk you into putting a Cadillac in your name.
We won’t deal with crooks, pedophiles, cheaters, liars out in the world
but we will let them preach to us, and then we wonder why the world thinks
Christianity is one big joke. We sit up
in church up under this foolishness
The bible warns us about people
like this, and it also tells us what to do when we come across this type of
people.
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort
are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins,
led away with divers lusts. (2
Timothy 3:5-6)
We are supposed to TURN AWAY from
people like this. Why are we supposed to
turn away? Because these type of people
their sole intent is to use and manipulate.
There are some people who will never get it together. Judas walked with Jesus and still betrayed
him for 30 pieces of silver.
If you have been hurt because of
some crooked ministers, there are some things that you need to understand. First and foremost there has, was and always
will be people like this. The best thing
that you can do for your family and yourself is protect yourselves. How do you protect yourself? First and foremost, know the bible for
yourself. Not just read it, but study
it. The second thing that you have to do
is you have to have a prayer life yourself.
The Lord will show you when something is not right. God is always talking, but we are not always
listening.
I have met quite a few crooks in
my life, and whatever stories you may have about crooked ministers, I guarantee
I have twice as many. But just like
there are bad men and good men, there are bad ministers and good ministers as
well. There are ministers that care
about your wellbeing, that care about your soul, and the souls of your family
members. That will fight and pray for
you. That are examples, that lead clean
and moral lives. That practice what they
preach. And not only do they practice
what they preach, but they will hold you accountable so that you will do the
same.
I have been blessed to be raised
up in a church where the pastor practices what he preaches. It is my prayer that you find the same
thing.
Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2)
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