“What we have here is a failure of moral leadership.“
I heard this term used this week to describe the failings of leadership at Penn State University to properly deal with allegations of, not only inappropriate, but criminal sexual behavior of one of the coaches going back more than a decade.
In the Penn State case, the failure of moral leadership falls on the graduate assistant who witnessed the molestation of a young boy in the university locker room and failed to immediately stop it. Yes, sometimes a moral stand means you’re going to get in the middle of something messy and inconvenient, . . . but it’s the right thing to do.
The failure of moral leadership comes when the Head Coach and other university officials failed to ‘do the right thing’. . . to protect innocent children by stopping potential ongoing abuse, and to investigate fully the incidents reported to find the truth.
Penn State is not the only institution with a failure of moral leadership. Sadly, it is a symptom of dysfunction in too many of our churches. How often we accept unacceptable behavior, look the other way or do nothing, hoping sinful behavior will go away.
Every Christian is called to moral leadership, not just pastors or church leaders. We each are to hold up the standards of Christ in every area of our own lives and are called to hold other believers accountable to His standard as well. (read 1 Cor. 5, James 5:19-20)
When there is moral leadership among Christians, then there is there is the opportunity for repentance and restoration. When nothing is said or done, our inaction becomes silent assent, and sin is left unchecked … allowed to grow and multiply.
So what does moral leadership look like in our day-to-day lives? It has a place whether we are in the marketplace or among believing Christians. Your approach or response may be different, but you can lead morally, whatever the situation.
When you’re in a group and someone starts to gossip, moral leadership says (out loud), “Please excuse me. I want no part of this. This is gossip and it is wrong.”
When someone shows disrespect for a leader, government authority or pastor, moral leadership stands up and says, “We need to honor and pray for those in authority over us.” (I’m sure we’ll all have a lot of opportunities to use this one during this election year.)
When someone makes an inappropriate sexual comment or innuendo, moral leadership says, “That’s inappropriate and demeaning to women. I don’t think you’d want someone to talk that way about your wife/sister/mom, would you?”
If they’re a believer, one response might be, “What you just said really concerns me, first of all because of the standard of holiness and sexual purity that is taught by Jesus and all through the scriptures. But also, Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So, as your brother in Christ, I’m concerned with what is in your heart if you would speak with those sexual overtones.”
When you’re in a group of guys and someone tells an off-color joke, moral leadership says, “I’m really surprised that you said that, because God’s Word says to let no corrupt or unclean word come out of your mouth. I know you profess to be a Christian and that concerns me. Can we talk about that?”
I believe the key is, not to wait and talk to the person in private when they have said or done something publicly. Instead, immediately, in front of everyone who heard the comment or saw the wrong action, moral leadership speaks up for everyone to hear. When you’re in a group setting and respond in such a way, you are not just giving moral leadership to the one who was speaking inappropriately, but to the whole group. You are also setting a standard that anyone else who engages in unacceptable behavior will be corrected publically as well. I repeat: When nothing is said or done, our inaction becomes silent assent, and sin is left unchecked … allowing it to grow and multiply.
Moral leadership holds people accountable. Moral leadership stands up and calls out sinful and/or inappropriate behavior in such a way to offer accountability and reconciliation. Those we lovingly confront may respond in a number of ways: anger, hurt, hostility, ridicule or repentance. Regardless, we still have a moral responsibility to do the right thing.
When you hear a professing Christian use filthy language in an explosion of anger, moral leadership says, “I’m concerned about your Christian witness. We are called to be followers and imitators of Jesus. There are certain words Jesus would not say, and you have just said them.”
When someone makes a racial slur or tells a demeaning joke against another ethnicity, moral leadership stands up and asks, “How do you think Jesus feels about the (insert ethnicity here)? He died for them, showing that each of their lives are of great worth to Him. But, your joke implies that they are less valuable because of their skin color or bloodline. I don’t think that’s really how you feel, it is?”
I’ll admit, I’ve had my own failings when it comes to moral leadership. I still wonder if I had confronted a Christian brother many years ago when he made an inappropriate comment, if I could have spared him, his family and many others a lot of suffering and shame.
Moral leadership is uncomfortable. It may cost you some friendships, but it’s the right thing to do, and it’s time we raised the bar to the standard Jesus set. Jesus challenged racism, immorality and greed. He spoke up to defend the poor and weak. He was not silent in the face of hypocrisy or arrogance. We must boldly, and humbly do the same.
If the followers of Jesus are not going to take responsibility for moral leadership, then who will? It starts with us, … in our circle of friends and family, … in our church, and among our Christian friends. So, step up Christians. No compromise. Be the moral leaders in our families, churches and community.
Here’s the flipside of the coin. None of us are immune to a lapse of judgment or getting caught up in a situation to the point that we let things come out of our mouths that should not. So, WE must be genuinely open to letting someone use the Word of God to correct our moral compass if it gets off track. We should welcome the loving accountability of brothers and sisters in Christ, and then be quick to repent of our own moral failings in speech, attitude and action.
May God help us to be bold, humble, loving, righteous and accountable to one another.
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Eph. 5:1-2
But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:5-6
It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 1 Cor. 5:12
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. Gal. 6:1
