By Michal Ortner
According to the Bishop Eddie Long, there was a time when he considered suicide. In a recent church service, an emotional Long shared about a time when taking his own life seemed like the only viable option because of all he was going through. During his sermon entitled “The Power of God’s Love,” he explained what brought him through the difficult time.
“It’s not a Scripture. What kept me is that every time I showed up here, you were here,” he said to his congregation.
Long explains that ultimately, he “my family loved me, my church loved me…regardless of what anybody said, love lifted me and carried me. And you didn’t judge me. There are folk here who know what I mean, that you’re alive because somebody loved you. They didn’t give you a sermon, they didn’t question you, they didn’t call you before a council.”
This trial in his life helped him to see that “there is no greater power than the power of love” and that the body of believers who stood by him in the good and the bad showed true commitment and the kind of love “that runs from heart to heart and breath to breath and I thank you.”
“We have no right or justification to kill one another on social media, especially when you don’t know,” Long stated. “And if we’re going to be saints, if we’re really going to move into the things God has, let’s love one another. “
It is likely that these dark moments that Long refers to took place during the 2010 period of allegations that he had abusive gay relationships with underage boys. At least five men stepped forward accusing the pastor of coercion and using his place of authority as a way to manipulate them into performing indecent acts with him.
The lawsuits brought against Long were settled in court in 2011, but he found himself back in court in 2013 for Ponzi scheme accusations.
As he spoke to the New Birth Missionary Church, he explained how he had been “condemned from the four corners of the earth. I had a moment… I had a moment… I wanted to kill myself and I was ready.”
The video also shows an emotional congregation. Some members have tear stained faces, while others place hands on his shoulder for support.
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