Today brought me a lot of shocking news and heartbreak.
No, it isn’t the uncomfortably growing spat between Trump and Musk, who suddenly switched from being the best of buds to bickering like former high school sweethearts airing personal grievances on social media.
To me, this news much more heartbreaking.
Today, the Christian band, Newsboys, released a statement regarding former lead singer Michael Tait.
In January, Tait inexplicably quit the band days before their winter tour was to kick off. No explanation was given. Apparently, Tait told the band his purpose for the departure was to “focus on himself.”
It turns out the reason for Tait’s unexpected departure was much darker.
As of today (June 5), at least three men came forward and reported that Tait got them drunk—one stated that Tait offered him cocaine—and fondled them. It doesn’t appear that any of these victims were minors. But all are claiming it was sexual assault.
Time will tell if more victims come forward.
According to a statement on the Newsboys official Facebook page, the band said Tait had admitted to them that he was living a double life, but “never imagined that it could be this bad.”
I was a sophomore at Liberty University when three very talented artists in the dorm next to mine broke into the music scene as DC Talk, consisting of Toby Mac, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait. That was my claim to fame: living in the dorm next to DC Talk. I have met them many times during my years in broadcasting, although I am certain they wouldn’t know me from Adam.
I loved that group and even saw a couple of concerts were the Newsboys opened for them. After DC Talk went on hiatus (they never officially disbanded), Tait toured solo before joining the Newsboys in 2009. I was thrilled with that news. Tait was the perfect front man for the band.
Since then, the Newsboys had been wildly successful: Gold records, sold-out concerts, and even appearing in the “God’s Not Dead” movies.
And now another Christian celebrity bites the dust.
Ugly. Potentially criminal. Black as sin.
In the coming days, I am prepared for non-believers looking down their noses at the (I know this term will be used) “so-called Christian band.” They will make the leap to accuse all Christians as hypocrites.
It remains to be seen how the Christian community responds.
I am deeply saddened by this news. I am heartbroken at Tait’s victims as well as Tait himself. I am even angry.
But I also tend to focus inward, into my own heart.
I am terrified that the sin living in Tait’s heart is also living in me.
I am just as capable—as are all of us—of giving in to sins.
Sin is frightening and dangerous. Its seed is within all of us, lurking and waiting for its moment to act. It slithers beneath the surface, never proclaiming its presence until it is too late. In many ways, it knows us better than we know ourselves, and it definitely knows what buttons to push.
Sin’s allure is hypnotic and seductive. It can even be beautiful. Sin appeals to our own hedonism and promises us the world. It assures us that there is nothing wrong with it, that it’s actions are victimless, and that it feels really, really wonderful. And most importantly, it assures us that we will never get caught—provided we are uber-cautious in covering our tracks, we have the power and finances to silence any witnesses or bury any evidence, or we have a good alibi or rationalization to at least minimize our guilt and shame in the event we get caught.
In fact, sin is so good at convincing us to act on it that we never bother to ask the question, “If there is nothing wrong with my action, then why should I even worry about getting caught in the first place?”
However, there comes a point in every person’s life when sin comes full circle back on us, where its sirenic mask is ripped away exposing all its true ugliness. Sadly, this often happens in view of loved ones and sometimes, even worse, in the watchful eye of the camera.
In an instant, the tantalizing pleasure of your sin explodes with a humiliating flash. And when your life begins crumbling around you, you look with astonishment at your new friend Sin only to discover that it has betrayed you and now stands as your accuser.
With the dominance of social media, it doesn’t take long for one’s sins to go viral under the seething judgment of cyber-finger-pointers, who have successfully convinced themselves that they are without sin.
We can only guess what new developments will come out today.
It is way too early to tell.
With this sad revelation, I can only think of the unknown road before both Michael Tait and the victims. I picture Tait standing within the smoldering rubble of what once had been his sparkling empire. I wonder what is going through his mind. Defiance? Panic? Bewilderment? Sadness?
Then, I saw myself standing there in the rubble of my own sin.
What if that was me?
Michael Tait is a man who needs a savior’s forgiveness, not my pointy fingers or smirking condemnation but my prayer.
Just like my own sins.
Granted, I can say with certainty that I have never sexually assaulted anyone. However, Jesus said that if a man lusts after a woman “has already committed adultery with her in his own heart” (Matthew 5:28). Sadly, I can’t say I am not guilty of that.
I, a sinner, need to treat Tait with the grace of Jesus, the same grace I hope others treat me with when my own sin catches up to me as accuser.
Sin has placed us on the exact same level: sinful humans in need of the cross.
My prayer is for the victims, the newsboys, and even Michael Tait himself. For all parties involved, as well as their families, the coming days are unknown.
However, in this broken world, stained by sin, one thing remains certain: God will work through this hot mess, and he is still good.
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