A Higher Standard?

“One of the major premises throughout the entire Bible is that leadership is to be held to a higher standard.”

This is one of the meanest, most unchristian statements I think I have ever heard. It’s also totally untrue. Let me see if I can take a pinch hit at explaining why.

I had this comment directed at me in a discussion on Tim Bednar’s e-church blog. A new pastor somewhere made the decision to can the church web site and start from scratch. It was a bad decision, and people called him on it. Ok. So he was publicly thrashed. Rare was that voice to suggest that this was something else than evil pastor syndrome. Actually, I may have been that rare voice. Within a week or so the pastor saw the error of his ways and brought back the old design. (I’m not aware of the status of the old webmaster.)

For some, however, capitulation was insufficient. Perhaps public penance would have been preferable. But it was in this context that the above statement was made.

“Leadership is to be held to a higher standard.”

And my question is: By whom?
Certainly not by God. All have fallen short of the Glory of God. No one is righteous. Everyone is going to hell, apart from the blood of Jesus. Why? Because the standard is so high. Infinite perfection is unattainable by anybody. How can the standard be any higher for my pastor than it is for me?

But perhaps our eternal reward is not the place where leadership is being held to a higher standard.

If it had been some random wayfarer who struck the rock instead of speaking to it, would they have been allowed to enter into Canaan? From the other examples in the Penteteuch, I’d say anybody else would have been struck dead on the spot. If somebody other than the king had slapped his arrows on the ground only three times, would Israel have beaten their enemies perhaps five or six times in battle before they were defeated? I see no reason to believe so. Perhaps Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for lying because they were in leadership.

There is, of course, the example of David, who was confronted with the specter of 70,000 dead because of a silly little census. If somebody else had taken a census surely there wouldn’t have been so many dead.

Yes. Well, there is that.

Honestly, I have no clue what was the big deal with the census. But apparently it was bad. The same with that whole David and Bathsheba thing that caused the whole country so much turmoil in later years. Heaping consequences for huge numbers of people. But is this an indication of a higher standard? I don’t think so. If a census is wrong, a census is wrong, no matter who conducts it. Having an affair and arranging to have the girl’s husband murdered to cover the evidence is wrong: it doesn’t matter if it’s you, me, or the czarina of Spain. There’s no higher standard at stake here.

There is, however, a greater level of ramification. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. The president of Enron screws up his books, and thousands of people lose their jobs. I screw up my books and I get overdraft charges from my bank. Perhaps this is what was meant by being “held to a higher standard.”

The problem is, these kinds of statements aren’t used to warn church leaders to be careful, so they can avoid harming their sheep. They’re used like spiritual BB guns to make potshots at any passing offense. They are used, in effect, to subtract grace in the very areas where we should be adding it. That to me is the meanest, most unchristian thing a person could do.

Obviously, where there is sin, call it sin. But, people, look for every opportunity to forgive. If nothing else, remember the parable of the Unmerciful Servant.

Author: KB French

Formerly many things, including theology student, mime, jr. high Latin teacher, and Army logistics officer. Currently in the National Guard, and employed as a civilian... somewhere View all posts by KB French