Autobiographies, Biographies, and the Final Draft

A verse keeps coming to my mind when I hear about Bill Cosby in the news.

1 Timothy 5:24
The sins of some people are conspicuous and precede them to judgment, while the sins of others follow them there.

If Bill Cosby did do the things he stands accused of, it could fairly be said that he spent fifty years living in the second half of this verse, and in a matter of weeks transitioned (permanently) to the first half.

For many decades, people could hardly make the distinction between Bill Cosby and his fictional personality Cliff Huxtable. Bill was everyone's favorite father figure. All that has changed in the blink of an eye.

In the court of public opinion, Cosby has been branded as an unrepentant sexual predator. America's 3rd most trusted celebrity (out of 3,000) is now ranked 2,615. And dropping.

But Cosby has an autobiography in his head, and he's not going to let go of it that quickly. You can almost hear him saying, "I'll write the story, thank you, and I'll tell you how it goes." When the infamous PBS interview did not go according to that script, he literally went silent.

A strategy of blanket denials and silence served Mr. Cosby well for decades, so it's understandable that this new situation has caught him by surprise. He is used to being in control of his story, but now there's a competing version out there. And try as he might, he can't make it go away.

Which story is more accurate? It's an important question, and it appears that earthly courts will weigh in soon enough. But the whole truth won't be known until God opens the Book of Life and renders a final judgement in the court of heaven. On the Day the Book of Life is opened, all our various (and conflicting) autobiographies and biographies will turn to dust.

Watching Mr. Cosby try (and fail) to control even the earthly version of his life's story is a poignant reminder. There is a true version of our life's story, but none of us are permitted to write the final draft. We only get to live it.

God has the final say. You might want to write that one down, Bill.

To be continued...