Where there’s smoke, there isn’t always fire
"We’re lucky not all our mistakes smell that bad."
When I lived in a humid climate we had to take special measures to protect clothing and linens from mildew and rot. One common solution was to leave a light bulb turned on in the wardrobe. This absorbed the moisture from the air quite well, but it also carried some risks.
One day I was greeted by an acrid smell when I dropped by the home of a friend who was away for a few days. Inside the stench was even worse. A haze of smoke hung heavily in the air, permeating the entire household and burning my eyes. I quickly traced the source of the problem to the wardrobe, where a carelessly tossed pillow had fallen onto the naked bulb and was smoldering. Fortunately it had not burst into flames, but a highly concentrated oily residue oozed from the crusty form of the synthetic pillow. It was a vile lump to behold and to discard.
The stench could not be evacuated so easily, and indeed proved remarkably persistent. Nearly a month later I was part of a group meeting in the home and the stink from the pillow was still conspicuous. Although we largely avoided mentioning the unpleasant topic, one of my colleagues made an astute observation. "We’re lucky not all our mistakes smell that bad," he said. How true.
Life isn’t fair
Life sometimes stinks, and it certainly isn’t always fair. In fact, the occasions when any of us get exactly what we deserve–for good or for ill–are probably quite rare. It is, however, much easier to live with unwarranted honor than undeserved censure; things seem especially unfair when a sniff of our actions sickens those we encounter. Sometimes misdeeds smell worse than they really are.
The possibility of having actions misconstrued or blown out of proportion is especially high for public figures. Leaders are vulnerable. They are apt to be scrutinized. A prominent person’s foibles and weaknesses are not hard to magnify; a reputation is easily tainted. Sometimes such people are targets of accusations–perhaps malevolent or misguided–that besmirch their good names.
Fame and influence come with a cost, including the loss of personal privacy. Prominence inevitably extends the sphere of glory, shame or pain. When a celebration of good fortune occurs, celebrities or position-holders are on hand to receive the praise. When the whiff of scandal blows by, they take the fall.
The spectacle of public figures twisting in the breeze amidst allegations of wayward sexual activity or other improprieties is inherently unfair. Many consider an accused person to be guilty simply on the principle that "where there’s smoke, there’s fire."
Such a fate may be well deserved. But who among us could emerge undamaged from the scrutiny of a Kenneth Starr? Who among us does not sometimes behave in ways which–if exposed to public gaze–could well bring us down? Most of the time, only grace protects us from the just desserts of our actions, from enduring the full stench of our mistakes.
Pastors and other leaders in Christian ministry, while normally not so visible as politicians, are especially vulnerable to fallout from either mistakes or slander. By virtue of position they lay claim to high standards of integrity and personal conduct–"practice what you preach." Christian ministers are also combatants in spiritual warfare. Those who take up cudgels in this battle will discover that evil fights dirty.
Especially vulnerable
The vulnerability of Christian leaders is enhanced by the highly personal nature of much ministry work. Pastors deal with many people during their most vulnerable moments, times of spiritual, physical, emotional or moral crisis. This is often the setting for redemption and spiritual bonding. But it also creates openings for relationships to develop inappropriately, or for private information to be improperly circulated.
The taint of impropriety–actual or alleged–hinders and can easily damage the work of any whose power and authority depends on trust. They must take special pains to avoid even the appearance of evil.
What about Christian leaders who face false accusations? Or those whose relatively minor missteps are elevated to major sins, for whom public approbation is unwarranted; those whose reputation and livelihood is threatened or lost for no good reason? What about faithful servants of God who live a nightmare that just keeps getting worse? Such injustice can and does happen.
Christian leaders who are vilified unjustly must realize and come to accept that the stink will linger. Because trust is the currency of Christian vocation, even people inclined to be sympathetic will hold something in reserve. This is due diligence.
"Blessed are you ..."
Suffering injustice can be the crucible where a Christian leader’s belief in God’s goodness is tested and purified. God knows what really happened, even if nobody else understands.
The Psalms are full of heart-wrenching cries of "How long, O Lord, will you look on?" (35:17). "Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me about things I do not know. They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn" (35:11,12). "My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction, and my neighbors stand far off" (37:11). But candid as they are with their anger and frustration, the writers invariably erupt into paeans of praise for God who is love, whose ways are perfect.
Suffering injustice is a calling to which only a few are qualified, and Jesus had something special to say to them. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great" (Matthew 5:11,12).
Doug Koop
Editor
