Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. ~ Ecclesiastes 10:1

On June 9, nationally-recognized and widely respected African-American theologian DR. TONY EVANS (74), who has been the lead pastor of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship megachurch in Dallas for 48 years, resigned in a statement posted on the church's website.

"While I have committed no crime," Evans explained. "I did not use righteous judgment in my actions. In light of this, I am stepping away from my pastoral duties and am submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders. This will afford me a needed time of spiritual recovery and healing."

If you want to impress a beautiful woman, they say diamonds are a girl's best friend, shoes are her partners in crime and expensive perfumes are her alibi. Of the three, perfume ("ointment') is by far the cheapest and you can pick it up at your local apothecary ("pharmacy").

Let's say you bought a bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian (currently the world's most popular fragrance), had it gift-wrapped, then gave it to a female you were trying to get to know better. She tosses the greeting card you bought and tears through the package wrapping. She holds up the bottle triumphantly, and applies it liberally to her wrists and neck.

Then you notice her nose crinkle. Her delight has turned into disgust. Instead of an exotic mixture of saffron, jasmine and Amberwood, there's a strange odor with a hint of rottenness in the air.

"Where did you buy this?" she demands as she tosses the bottle back at you. That's when you notice. 

There's a fly -- a big fat nasty dead fly -- floating in your $100 bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540 from Walmart.

That's the thought behind Ecclesiastes 10:1 and the fly (folly) in the perfume (man of honor). Tony Evans is/was without question the leading black preacher America. In his nearly half-century of faithful Christian service, Evans has earned a reputation for wisdom and honor, and rightfully held in esteem as a God-fearing, Bible-teaching preacher. 

Evans is not a prosperity pimp. he is not JAMAL BRYANT or T.D.JAKES, but there was something in his ointment. 

He readily admits he fell "short of [God's] standard due to sin", which is folly.

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Of course, everyone is speculating what Evans' sin is. Was he cheating on his deceased first wife? Did he have sex outside of marriage as a widowed bachelor? Is he being blackmailed? Enquiring minds want to know, but why?

The damage is done, the details are irrelevant and Evans may be restored to ministry, which we sincerely hope.

The question is: Who picks up the mantle?