How Men and Women Relate in the Church

Of all places, they met at a Bible study. Neither expected to find the other there, nor was either one of them even looking. But over the months, something happened. Through comments made and affirmed. Prayer requests heard and prayed for. A laugh at a well-timed joke and a glance of appreciation.

“One cannot possibly eliminate all avenues of lust without eliminating the world and one’s self.”

Personal connections followed. They were innocuous at first. A text as a follow-up to something personal shared in the group. And then, over time, affections grew. No one saw it coming, least of all them. They were each happy as they were — fulfilled, though not perfectly — but with each personal contact it became harder to resist the gravity of their connection. Until one day it seemed irresistible, and they ended up physically and emotionally intimate in ways that should have been reserved for their spouses.

It’s a horrifyingly familiar scene. The genesis of an affair.