Article February 23, 1998 Issue

When giants fall

If bad news has left you feeling let down, here's a response that will lift you up.

By Channing Walker

When a giant falls, who falls with him? If it is a religious giant whose personal behavior has dropped far below his uplifting message, do we fall away from whatever was good in his teachings? If it is a political giant caught in a quicksand of duplicity, do we sink into cynicism? What about personal giants—family members or close friends? If previously unknown seaminess explodes into view, do we plunge into despair?

Or could our response bring healing to ourselves and the whole scene?

The most jaded response may seem the most savvy. That's never the most knowing response, though. Spiritual vision enables us to know, really know, where grand, giant-like qualities come from in the first place, and why those qualities truly never fall. Spiritual vision enables us to bring healing rather than hand-wringing to a public display of moral collapse.