I'm making my best attempt to start this post without going into the typical, trite phrases. Still, whenever a leader with a wide reach resigns as a result of becoming entrapped in a sin, it does recreate the "here we go again" montage of feelings.
Even though these occurrences aren't as frequent as it seems, each failure is tragic, leaving a tsunami of confusion and skepticism in its wake. The bigger the platform, the harder the fall, and the wider the wave.
In these moments, my attention instantly goes to what our responsibility is as the body of Christ. I have a few thoughts to share.
Don't Dance on Their Ministry Grave
So many are poised to pounce the second a leader of notoriety falls. They are like jackals hovered around a bleeding out beast. Stay out of the comment sections; it's a cesspool.
You've heard the typical condemnations:
"Maybe if he wasn't spouting such a shallow faith, he wouldn't be in this predicament."
"All of these public leaders are hypocrites; you just have to wait until they show their true colors."
"Clearly the influence got to her head."
Just stop.
I've heard it said that the Church is the one place where they shoot their wounded. While I think this phrase is usually overblown, if it were true, it would be about the fall of public, Christian leaders.
Don't take this as an opportunity to tell the world how your theology is better than theirs. Don't delight in the downfall. Realize that all leaders are susceptible. Sin is a 24/7 convenience store where the shelves are always stocked and the doors never close.
There is always ample opportunity for a leader of any level to trip up. While you may not know the individual personally, Galatians 6:1-2 is still your obligation:
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Instead of jumping into the cesspool, consider these questions:
How can you be a voice of restoration? How can you lead your people to follow the Shepherd more than the shepherds? How can you acknowledge the reality of sin crouching at the door without demeaning the character of another leader?
Don't Discredit God's Work
Perhaps you're on the other side of this letdown. Maybe you're feeling a deep sense of loss rather than contempt. You've read books, watched lectures, taken notes, and planted your flag in the same camp as this leader. He has influenced your own career; she has developed your walk with Christ. But after what has come to light, is it all eliminated?
No. It doesn't have to be.
Scripture is laden with examples of God doing His work through seriously screwed up individuals. Heck, look at Samson: what a trainwreck. Or worse, Balaam. That guy didn't even believe in the true God, and yet the Lord accomplished His will by overtaking Balaam amid the dude's crooked intentions to bless the nation of Israel.
Philippians 2:13 helps inform this. As much as the church in Philippi benefited from and always adored the work of Paul among them, their faith wasn't hitched to him. He commends them for obeying Christ even in his absence, then says "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
As much as you may have attached your transformation or growth to that leader, it is God who worked in you. Whether that person was faithful or unfaithful at the time you were pointed to Christ isn't as important as whether you yourself were focusing on Christ. The object is more important than the usher.
You may feel betrayed. Justifiably so. But take the good you have gleaned and stand confidently in the work that Christ has done in you.
Take Heed: A Cautionary Reminder
Sometimes the King James Version just hits perfectly. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says "let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall."
Put in layman's terms, if you think you're bulletproof, careful...
The phrase "take heed, lest ye fall" goes through my head all the time. With each public failure I'm reminded how I'm fully capable of the same end. I see the faces of the people that I would let down. It reminds me that I can't take my foot off the gas of battling the flesh and of staying connected to the Vine.
Maybe you're like me and you get that slight panic of, "I hope this never happens to me." There's health in that. It's proof that you are evaluating where you standeth. Each failure is an invitation to take inventory of your own soul and reflect on the areas where you are susceptible to sin.
I wish these articles didn't exist. I wish that no leader ever fell. But as long as we have this human problem, we are going to have instances where the person up front lets us down. It is then up to you as to how you will respond.
Will you join the chorus of criticism? Will you use this as your free pass to deconstruct your faith and quit the way of Jesus? Will you look down on the fallen hero, thinking this could never be you?
The choice is yours.
I pray you will choose the path of compassion, humility, vigilance, and restoration.
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Jonny Radcliff is a youth minister, speaker, and National Coordinator of Resource Development at NNYM. He lives in Pennsylvania (Go Birds) with his amazing wife Sarah and their four incredible kids.