SODOM IN THE CATHEDRAL
Jerry Adesewo
The Guinness Book of Records has suddenly become a bride that every Tom, Dick, and Harry now chases in Nigeria and across the world. Feats that once required extraordinary discipline, creativity, or innovation are now being trivialized into spectacles of shame.
What no one envisaged is that this pursuit of “records” could descend so quickly to the level of Sodom.
READ ALSO:Mothers as Gold, Fathers as Mirrors: Lessons from the Ballon d’Or
It was shocking to many reasonable people when Mandy Kiss announced her intention to sleep with 100 men in 24 hours as a Guinness World Record attempt. The outcry that followed at least suggests that there is still a molecule of morality left among Nigerians. Many condemned the idea, including some clergymen. The Guinness Book of Records themselves publicly dissociated from the planned “sexathon.”
Sad as it is, at least Mandy Kiss, and many of her ilk are not pretending to be believers with impeccable character.
Yet, the dust of that scandal had hardly settled when a disturbing audio clip circulated on social media. In it, a supposed pastor was caught in a romantic conversation with the wife of one of his members. Together, they plotted their escapades, scheming for her to sleep over in church under the pretense of attending an overnight service.
Still within the same week, news broke of a Catholic sister exposing the immoral actions of Reverend Fathers who, tired of celibacy, turned their frustrations into sexual harassment of nuns under his care. And for daring to talk, rather than investigate and punish the predators in cassock, the said nun has been dismissed.
One could go on and on, recounting atrocities being committed under the very nose of God — in youth fellowships, among elders, between choir masters and choir members. And one cannot help but ask: has Sodom shifted its headquarters into the very temple of God?
The Tragedy of Sexual Sin
Infidelity and sexual immorality are not new battles for humanity. From the days of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, to the Israelites at Shittim (Numbers 25:1–3), to Corinth where Paul lamented the fornication that was “not so much as named among the Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 5:1), sexual sin has always threatened the covenant community of God.
The tragedy is not just the act itself, but its venue and its victims. When sin thrives openly in the sanctuary, when pastors are perpetrators, when spiritual leaders become predators, when prophets use their gifting to manipulate congregators into illicit sexual activities, the shame is double-fold. The Bible reminds us that “judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17).
Why Sexual Sin is So Destructive
1. It Defiles the Body:
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:18–19: “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?” Sexual immorality corrupts the very vessel God has chosen to dwell in.
2. It Weakens the Anointing
Samson’s downfall was not Philistine armies but his inability to restrain his passions (Judges 16). A pastor may still preach, sing, or prophesy, but once sexual sin has eaten deep, the fire upon the altar is quenched.
3. It Destroys Trust
A shepherd’s greatest asset is credibility. Once sexual scandal sets in, even innocent counsel will be despised. The shame spreads beyond the individual to the congregation and the body of Christ at large.
4. It Profanes the Altar
When the pulpit becomes a platform for hypocrites, the altar becomes polluted. Malachi 2:11 says, “Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.”
Guarding Against Sodom in the Sanctuary
How then do we, as believers and leaders, guard against this creeping “Sodomization” of the church?
1. Return to Holiness Preaching
Modern pulpits have been overrun by prosperity messages and motivational speeches. But Hebrews 12:14 is still true: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Pastors must call sin by its name and raise a standard of purity, not aiding it in exchange for large congregation.
2. Strengthen Accountability
No pastor should be above correction. No elder should be beyond questioning. The church must recover structures of discipline where leaders and members alike are accountable. Paul rebuked Peter publicly in Galatians 2 when he was wrong. Today, too many scandals thrive in secrecy.
3. Guard the Eyes and the Heart
Jesus warned in Matthew 5:28: “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” The battle begins not in the bedroom but in the imagination. Pastors, ministers, and believers must discipline their eyes, minds, and media consumption.
4. Counsel and Teach on Sexuality
Silence is not safety. Churches often avoid discussions on sex, leaving members to learn from the world. We must teach God’s design for sex, marriage, and purity, equipping especially our youths with truth before the world offers them lies.
5. Enforce Consequences
When David sinned with Bathsheba, God forgave him but consequences still followed (2 Samuel 12). Churches that sweep immorality under the rug in the name of grace only multiply sin. Forgiveness must not cancel discipline.
A Wake-Up Call
Beloved, if Sodom has indeed moved into the Cathedral, then the time for pretending is over. We cannot preach against the world while practicing worse inside the church. We cannot condemn adultery in the streets while nurturing fornication in the sanctuary.
The call is urgent: Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
Let the pastor cleanse his pulpit. Let the elder purge his hands. Let the chorister sanctify his lips. Let the congregation return to the fear of the Lord.
For God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap (Galatians 6:7). If we sow lust, we shall reap corruption. If we sow holiness, we shall reap everlasting life.
May the Lord, have mercy on His church and cleanse us from every stain of sexual sin and restore the fear of the Lord in our hearts, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.