Ralph knew he had done...
Illustration
Ralph knew he had done wrong, but hoped time would erase or fade the activity. Ten years earlier, when he had first become a pastor, Ralph had accepted $100,000 from a childhood friend to help build a new Youth Center. Since then, Ralph was beginning to see where Sonny's money had come from. Sonny had money to spare -
- plenty of it. Yet when he and Ralph joked about money, Sonny always referred to "the suckers" and "the desperates." Ralph didn't know what to do. He couldn't very well raze the building. He couldn't just come out and say what he felt Sonny's business was. He agonized over the problem. Ralph spent more and more time in prayer, as Sonny offered him more and more money to help build and rebuild portions of the church. Ralph refused, saying he wanted the people to have ownership in the church. Ralph did not have the courage to say he did not want Sonny's money. Ralph knew it was time to take action. He took the easy way out: transferring to another church in the height of his clergy career. He was a hero. But Ralph knew the truth: he had used dirty money to build a house of God. His career was never the same. He did not have the energy or the vision to build anything, and the people were disappointed. Ralph retreated to a monastery where he spent his final days in prayer and silence.
-- Berg
- plenty of it. Yet when he and Ralph joked about money, Sonny always referred to "the suckers" and "the desperates." Ralph didn't know what to do. He couldn't very well raze the building. He couldn't just come out and say what he felt Sonny's business was. He agonized over the problem. Ralph spent more and more time in prayer, as Sonny offered him more and more money to help build and rebuild portions of the church. Ralph refused, saying he wanted the people to have ownership in the church. Ralph did not have the courage to say he did not want Sonny's money. Ralph knew it was time to take action. He took the easy way out: transferring to another church in the height of his clergy career. He was a hero. But Ralph knew the truth: he had used dirty money to build a house of God. His career was never the same. He did not have the energy or the vision to build anything, and the people were disappointed. Ralph retreated to a monastery where he spent his final days in prayer and silence.
-- Berg
