SENTINEL WATCH October 8, 2007 Issue

HONEST LEADERSHIP

BARBARA M. VINING

WHEN A LEADER —a teacher, a politician, a high-profile athlete, or other public figure—appears to fall from grace, and his or her story is splashed across the news, or talked about in the community, the public rush to judgment can be brutal. An expectation of honest leadership is reasonable of course. It's natural to want our leaders not only to champion high moral and ethical values, but also to uphold these values in their private lives to serve as examples for our children and us. But harsh public reaction perhaps points to a deeper, more basic human need: to respond more graciously when our leaders disappoint us.

As St. Paul recommended in his letter to the Christians at Galatia: "My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted" (Gal. 6:1, New Revised Standard Version).

When I was a child, my mom gave me an important piece of advice: "If you don't want everyone to know what you're doing, don't do it." This counsel encouraged me to examine within myself the rightness of an action before engaging in it—and to live up to my own highest sense of right. When faithfully followed, this practice can save one from self-deception, and thus, from the misguided practice of trying to hide one's private actions from others.

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Testimony of Healing

RENEWED SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT BRINGS HEALING